"If he has removed it" - LaLiga president makes surprise claim after Barcelona director hit out at Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr in racism row
Controversy has shrouded the upcoming clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid owing to Barca Director and Deputy Spokesperson Mikel Camps' contentious tweet about Vinicius Junior. Commenting on the row, La Liga president Javier Tebas questioned Barcelona and remarked as to why the club have not issued an apology as of yet.
In a sad state of affairs, Vinicius Junior has been subjected to multiple racial slurs in the past few months. The Real Madrid winger was abused racially once again in his side's clash against Sevilla on October 20. A fan of the Andalusian club made monkey gestures in front of the winger.
As is his right, Vinicius commented on the incident and rallied for stricter rules to be introduced, in order to prevent such mishaps in the future. However, Barcelona's Mikel Camps appeared to be in disagreement with the 23-year-old's statements, taking to social media to express his views. In the now-deleted tweet, he wrote (via Football Espana):
"It's not racism, he deserves a slap for being a clown. What do these unnecessary and meaningless bicycle kicks represent in the center of the field?"
Many people, including several enraged Real Madrid fans, expected La Liga to sanction Camps for his vexed views. Addressing the controversy, Tebas said (via Football Espana):
"When someone makes a mistake and you delete it, it doesn’t cost anything to apologise. If he has removed it, it means that he didn’t like that he said what he said."
Despite the severity of his remarks, reports have suggested that Camps will avoid getting sacked. Instead, he is expected to receive a lenient punishment for the said offense, much to the dismay of Real Madrid fans.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is set to boycott El Clasico against Barcelona due to the Camps controversy
In a move of solidarity with Vinicius, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will not be attending the upcoming El Clasico as an act of protest. As reported by El Chiringuito, the Spanish businessman is furious with Camps' statements and will thus, boycott the derby.
Interestingly, this will not be the first time that Perez is not attending a game against Barcelona amidst controversy. He infamously applied the same strategy last season in the El Clasico at the Spotify Camp Nou due to the El Caso Negreira controversy.
Perez reportedly agreed to attend the upcoming El Clasico, despite last year's dispute. However, Camps' statements have justifiably changed his mind, with Perez now expected to stay in Madrid during the match.