"I Came Here in a Boat": El Hilali Subjected to Racist Remarks by Rafa Mir During Espanyol-Elche Clash

The match between Elche and Espanyol, part of the twenty-fifth round of the Spanish League, was halted for several minutes after Moroccan international Omar El Hilali protested against what he considered offensive and racist remarks made by Elche striker Rafa Mir.

According to the adopted anti-racism protocol, the referee officially crossed his arms in the 80th minute after being informed of the incident by the Espanyol defender. The game then resumed after a stoppage of approximately three minutes, while the 22-year-old Moroccan player, born in the suburbs of Barcelona, appeared visibly distressed.

The referee's report stated that Rafa Mir's remark carried an anti-immigrant connotation: “I came here in a boat,” though it noted that the refereeing team did not hear it directly.

La Liga, through its official account on the X platform, condemned all forms of racist behavior inside and outside stadiums, affirming its continued efforts to combat this phenomenon despite strict penalties and laws.

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has been one of the most prominent voices against discrimination in Spanish football, having been subjected to several racist abuses since joining the royal club in 2018, although some of those incidents did not lead to strict penalties.