Sebastián Avellino’s gesture during Tuesday’s match against Corinthians of Brazil.
A new chapter of racism in football was written on Tuesday night. It happened in São Paulo, in the Neo Quimica Arena stadium, during the match between Corinthians from Brazil and Universitario de Deportes from Peru, in the first leg of the play-offs for the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana. The Peru team’s sports coach was arrested for impersonating a monkey in front of opposing club fans and now faces up to five years in prison.
At the end of the game, the Peruvian team went to the dressing room with bloody eyes after losing 0-1 and scoring a goal in the last 15 minutes. They had reasons: they were dealing with a depleted squad full of substitutes and homegrown players, because coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo had decided to prioritize the Brazilian Cup and the league, and also because they were being sent off with one less striker, Alex Valera posed – were about to score a draw – a shot in the area of Argentinian Calcaterra – in the last breath.
Sebastián Avellino, fitness coach of Club Universitario de Deportes in a picture taken from the team’s social media. Club Universitario de Deportes
Uruguay’s Sebastián Avellino Vargas, the Universitario’s sports coach, was also frowning as he walked into the dressing rooms when he was intercepted by the police. An agent claimed to have seen him engage in racist acts against rival fans. Coach Jorge Fossati, his compatriot, managed to tell them that it was certainly a mistake and that it was all just a result of confusion. “These people would insult them, spit and throw something, and the teacher would look at them with a face like, ‘Crazy, what’s wrong with them?’ and he made a “why me” gesture and touched his chest, which was interpreted as a racist sign,” Fossati said.
But it hasn’t slipped. Officers handcuffed Avellino and took him to the nearest police station. Alongside the police officer, two ball boys and three fans testified against the 43-year-old Uruguayan. The Universitario leadership, their fans and much of the press stood up for him because he had no criminal record and there was no evidence to incriminate him. There were also those who spoke out against Brazilian laws that take discrimination based on racism seriously. Most of the criticism focused on the way Avellino was treated by law enforcement after video showing him being taken to a police unit while hooded was shown. “The honor of a professional at our club has been sullied. “Sebastián Avellino was treated like a criminal in Brazil and spent the night in a dungeon, which we consider an inadmissible, humiliating and outrageous fact,” the Cream Club statement said.
The defense wasn’t just Peruvian. The Association of Physical Trainers of Uruguay (APFU) also took out the shield for its member: “We are concerned about the personal situation in which our colleague finds himself, based on many years of experience and always acted impeccably.” The matter is addressed to the The foreign ministries of both countries escalated after preventive detention was ordered against Avelino on Wednesday until the facts were clarified.
The irrefutable proof was released on Thursday: a video showing Avellino actually being rebuked by Corinthians fans and then imitating a monkey by raising his hands twice almost to armpit height. Given these facts, there are those who have backed down and say that when in doubt, everyone deserves trust. Others insist on spitting at the fans to justify Avellino’s racism, while local opponents, club Alianza Lima, have gone to the archives to remember that Universitario administrator Jean Ferrari, when he was a player, Goal against Alliance hailed to be a monkey.
The Peruvian club’s recent history in the spotlight brings with it more episodes of racism: in October 2022, a Creme fan threw a banana at an African-American player at a national league match at the Monumental Stadium where they play at home. On that occasion, a grandstand was closed and the club was fined $12,000. As this time it is a tournament organized by the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), the penalty could be increased.
Judge Roberto Porto of the Fourth Trial Division of the São Paulo Court has initially rejected the precautionary measure requested by Sebastián Avellino’s defense so that he could face the trial in freedom. “I see no breach of the presumption of innocence, but given the particular gravity of the alleged conduct, I see strong evidence of authorship and social vulnerability,” says Porto. The Universitario sports coach, whose passport was confiscated, denied this, claiming that he had cones under his arms. Under the Brazilian Penal Code, the crime of racism for defamation carries a prison sentence of between two and five years, in addition to a substantial fine.
Sebastián Avellino is in Pinheiros prison, west of São Paulo. Universitario will host Corinthians at the Monumental Stadium in Lima next Tuesday in the crucial second leg of the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 play-offs. Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Timao coach, declined to take part again. Aware of the upcoming hostility, he takes advantage of the health emergency caused by Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare immune system disorder. “The government has ordered an outbreak and that has to be respected. We are not guinea pigs,” he argues. The Ministry of Health left him without arguments and replied in record time: “This syndrome is not transmitted from person to person, so the players of the Brazilian club in our country are not at risk of contagion.” Regardless of how the story ends, football has one witnessed a new infamous episode.
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