Elche denounce own fans over racist abuse

Liga club Elche have criticised their own fans after they racially abused Granada’s French defender Allan Nyom in Saturday’s La Liga game at their Martinez Valero stadium in Alicante.

Nyom reacted to a chorus of what referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande said in his match report were “monkey chants” from one section of the crowd in the 89th minute by angrily booting the ball towards them and was booked.

The official then ordered an announcement to be made telling the Elche fans to stop.

“The club repudiates in the strongest possible terms the racist chants directed at the player Nyom that came from one very small section of the crowd,” Elche said on their website (www.elchecf.es).

“In fact, after the incident, Elche CF called via the public address system for an immediate end to the behavior and ordered that it not be repeated, as actually happened,” they added.

Nyom said he regretted kicking the ball into the crowd and that he did not consider Elche to be a racist club.

“It was an impulsive reaction,” the 25-year-old told Marca.

“I shouldn’t have done it but sometimes you just lose your temper,” he added

“It was my way of responding to what was happening to me. What can I do? It was a handful of people who were trying to destabilize me.

“In France it never happened to me but in Spain its not the first time I have experienced something similar.”

Here’s the footage of a visibly upset Nyom, being shown a yellow card after he kickedg the ball into the crowd.