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UEFA has levied a €15,000 fine on Real Madrid for the racist conduct of their supporters during the Champions League quarter-finals against Arsenal. After Los Blancos were hammered 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners beat them 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu (April 16).
During that game, there were racist shouts towards the Arsenal away supporters from certain parts of the Madrid fanbase. In response to this, UEFA have fined the club €15,000 (via Madrid Universal). The governing body has also laid out a warning about sanctions on ticket sales in their next away match if the incident occurs again.
Earlier this season, a series of punishments were meted out by UEFA for Real Madrid players' celebrations against Atletico Madrid. Antonio Rudiger was fined €40,000 and Kylian Mbappe was fined €30,000, while Dani Ceballos was fined €20,000.
The latest sanction will be cause for concern, particularly as Real Madrid openly back Vinícius Júnior, who has long been subjected to racial abuse in Spain. The winger has consistently spoken up about incidents in recent years, and Los Blancos have notably backed him inside and outside of the courts.
Arsenal make plans for defensive replacements amid Real Madrid interest in Saliba
Arsenal appear adamant about retaining William Saliba, despite Real Madrid's continued advances. The Spanish giants have recognized the 24-year-old French defender as one of their main targets to strengthen an aging backline. Reports are suggesting that they have come up with an offer that Saliba and the Gunners cannot refuse (via The Sun).
Saliba, who is contracted to Arsenal until 2027, has been the backbone of the Mikel Arteta defense, forming a powerful partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes. He has already made over 130 appearances for the Gunners. However, the temptation to join Los Blancos is huge, and an absence of renewed contract talks has only created suspense regarding Saliba's future.
His possible exit has made the Gunners cast a keen eye over Sporting CP's Ousmane Diomande, according to Defensa Central (via Just Arsenal). The 21-year-old Ivorian defender has been keeping good form in Portugal, with two goals in 29 league games this season.
Sporting CP have apparently set an €80m release clause for the Diomande. Based on this, the Gunners will need to decide if they hold onto Saliba or let him leave for Real Madrid. While the English outfit would surely prefer the former, the latter could be an eventuality and a replacement could come in handy.
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Nnanna Mba
Nnanna is a European and international football journalist who has been covering news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda for around 5 years. A keen interest in reading and football since an early age, watching games at local stadiums with family paved the way for him to take up the sport professionally.
Nnanna’s favorite club is English team Bolton Wanderers because he witnessed Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha's play for them between 2002 and 2006. His favorite footballer is Ronaldinho due to the Brazilian's love for the sport and admires Pep Guardiola for redefining football tactics. As a former literature student, Nnanna reckons that the best way of connecting with the readers is to add a bit of empathy in his writing, and relies on trusted websites like Transfermarkt and WhoScored for his articles.
Lionel Messi lifting the World Cup trophy in 2022 is Nnanna’s favorite FIFA World Cup moment, and also follows Major League Soccer due to the diminutive Argentine. He strongly believes that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland could be the next two superstars in the same light as legendary pair Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
When not writing, he likes to play Football Manager and other simulation games.
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