The friendly match YouTubers between Spain and France, which took place on Saturday at the Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid, had to be suspended for a long time due to racist cries coming from the stands. What should have been a celebration of football and entertainment, with tens of thousands of very young supporters gathered to enjoy the competition – on the Atlético Madrid pitch and follow it live on YouTube and streaming platforms . streaming— became an embarrassing scene due to racist insults from a Spanish fan towards one of the French players.
The incident occurred when one of the supporters present in the stadium uttered racist insults against a player of the French team, SDM, known in France for being a successful rap singer. The Frenchman approached the crowd to defend himself and identify the racist spectator, who was immediately expelled and escorted out of the stadium by security officers.
The situation forced the match to be stopped and the players of the France team decided to temporarily retreat into the locker room tunnel, visibly affected. Some Spanish content creators tried to defuse the situation by talking with their French counterparts. He youtuber Koko, deeply affected by the episode, was one of the first to go to the locker room to show his support for his teammates on the opposing team.
The captain of the France team asked DjMario, organizer of the event and captain of the Spain team, to calm the stands before resuming the match. Mario intervened to ask for respect: “People, it’s a game of YouTubersPlease, let’s not be stupid. It’s 2024. We’re going to have a great time. The referee, Cristóbal Soria, threatened to permanently cancel the match and demanded that the public absolutely reject any type of racist behavior. “Applause or no applause, it’s not worth it, I think we’re putting on a show that doesn’t identify with any of us at all. If there is still the slightest insult, we cancel the match. “It’s a party,” he insisted. The French player concerned also took the microphone before resuming the game: “This is the first time that I have been the victim of racism. “I came here to play football,” he said.
Even though play resumed, the atmosphere became tense for the rest of the night. Some supporters booed the French players when they returned to the field. Objects continued to fall from the stands, like a banana peel.
The parties of YouTubers between Spain and France have become an annual tradition since 2019, organized by popular content creators from both countries. Its objective is to promote coexistence and good humor between followers of the two Internet communities, in addition to raising funds for charitable causes. They have a large following and thousands of viewers online.
