It is an editorial choice that immediately and massively caused a reaction. This Monday, the newspaper BRAND made the front page of his newspaper on “The African blood of Real Madrid”. Around the title, “Africa Power”, we see six Real Madrid players: Aurélien Tchouaméni, David Alaba, Karim Benzema, Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rüdiger and Eduardo Camavinga. Marca explains that “Real Madrid have found a new roadmap in its recruitment policy” with these six players, who “boast of roots Africans, although they have moved away from the continent”. In the background, the African continent, with animal, desert and Savannah motifs.
“In Spain, we are not up to this story”
In the article which accompanies this front page, and which is available on the site of BRAND, the Spanish daily explores in more depth the links between Real and African players or players of African origin, writing that this link “has been consolidated” with the recent arrivals of Alaba, Camavinga, Rüdiger and Tchouaméni, and that ” African blood is present in Madrid through these four players, among others, although none of them come directly from this continent. However, the presence of players of African origin in the major European championships has allowed these roots to be present in many major clubs. And Madrid is no exception. »
If none of the players present on this front page has yet reacted, it has provoked strong reactions, especially on social networks, where two camps stand out. On the one hand, those who denounce Marca, who omit that the six players mentioned are all international in Europe (French for Benzema, Mendy, Camavinga and Tchouaméni, German for Rüdiger, Austrian for Alaba), born in the countries of which they have the sporting nationality for the most part (only Camavinga was born in Angola) and who are surprised by the highlighting of these family origins as a sporting argument. On the other, those who welcome the highlighting of the African origins of these players, and the fact that they have always claimed them with pride.
“It’s an education problem,” said a Spanish journalist. In Spain we are not up to this story. We say anything. I don’t think there is a desire to be racist or to create controversy. It’s just an absurd front page. »