River Plate women’s players released from prison after arrest for alleged racism

A Brazilian judge has ordered the release from prison of four players from River Plate’s women’s football team, all of whom were arrested over an alleged racial slur during a match against Grêmio.

Judge Fernando Oliveira Camargo decided to free the Argentinian club’s quartet of Candela Díaz, Camila Duarte, Juana Cángaro and Milagros Díaz, on condition they remain in Brazil and show up at court in São Paulo every month until the case is concluded.

The players spent Christmas at the city’s Carandiru penitentiary after the incidents during the Brazil Ladies’ Cup match on 21 December. The match in São Paulo was stopped in the first half after Candela Díaz made apparent monkey gestures to a ball boy, which were shown in TV broadcast footage.

Grêmio players walked off in protest over the incident, with scuffles having initially broken out after the Brazilian side had scored in the group-stage game. The referee subsequently showed red cards to six River Plate players, and ended the match because the visitors did not have enough players to continue.

Trouble breaks out during the game. Photograph: Reuters

The score was 1-1 but the referee awarded the match to Grêmio, who went on to win the final of the invitational tournament, beating compatriots Bahia on penalties. The Brazil Ladies’ Cup also banned River from the tournament for two years.

After the game, Candela Díaz, Milagros Díaz, Duarte and Cángaro – who are all Argentinian – were detained by São Paulo police. The quartet’s lawyer, Thais Sankari, told AP: “We see in this decision a great arbitrariness and the Brazilian judiciary’s desire to send a message. They used this case for that purpose.”

The Grêmio coach, Thaissan Passos, said her team told her River players had previously called them “monkeys”. Organisers said future editions will immediately ban any participating team whose athletes or staff “engage in racist gestures on the playing field”.

River also condemned the discriminatory gestures. The club said it is “taking the appropriate disciplinary measures and will continue working to eradicate such behaviour”. The four players who were arrested have yet to make public comments about the case.

Argentinian clubs have been frequently sanctioned by South American sports bodies due to racist gestures from their fans, especially in men’s football matches involving Brazilian clubs.