During Sunday’s Segunda División B match between the Barcelona B squad and SD Ejea, 20-year-old Barca right back Moussa Wagué was sent off for clashing with an Ejea supporter while attempting to take a throw-in.
The match was played at the tight confines of Ejea’s 2,900-capacity Nuevo Estadio Municipal, and after Wagué went to collect the ball for a throw, a supporter tossed it away from him, resulting in the physical altercation.
He’s since been hit with a four-game ban for his actions, but the Senegal international took to Instagram to issue an apology and explain his actions, which he says stemmed from “numerous and repeated racist insults.”
“In a moment of anger, with the scoreline not in our favor, I behaved incorrectly and I acknowledge that and want to reiterate my apologies,” he wrote. “I also want to report that my actions, in trying to get the ball back from a fan to take a throw-in, came after being the object of numerous and repeated racist insults. That should never have to be tolerated on a football pitch.”
Meanwhile, SD Ejea issued a statement of its own on Twitter, saying: “We want to publicly thank Moussa Wague for his apology. With regards to his complaint that he received racist insults, at no moment were the referees, stewards, members of the security staff or anyone from the club aware of anything like that happening. Any [racism] would have been dealt with very strongly.”
Wagué transferred from Belgian side Eupen to Barcelona in August for $5.65 million following a series of impressive displays for Senegal at the World Cup. He became the youngest African goalscorer in World Cup history when marauding forward to get on the scoresheet against Japan.
#MundialTelemundo ¡Llegó el segundo de #SEN! Por conducto de Moussa Wagué, quien aprovecha un balón para definir de primera el segundo ante #JAP pic.twitter.com/a3z3390bIq
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 24, 2018
His debut for Barcelona B wasn’t made until October due to issues with his paperwork in applying for a visa to play in Spain, but he’s since made 11 appearances while scoring one goal and providing two assists.
His impressive form saw him called up to the senior side for a Copa del Rey match against Levante on Jan. 10, but he didn’t make it off the bench.