Barcelona have officially announced that they will conduct an inquiry into allegations of racist insults aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior in El Clasico on Saturday.
During the match, Jude Bellingham scored two goals for Los Blancos, including a dramatic last-minute strike that earned his side a 2-1 victory.
The alleged racist abuse directed at Vinicius took place when the 23-year-old, who has faced repeated targeting in Spain, was substituted in the dying embers of the match.
A picture shared by the forward on social media seemed to capture a fan making a racist gesture towards him.
La Liga have since confirmed that they are working to identify those responsible for making the alleged racist insults and will proceed to file the necessary charges, as is customary, while adding that they are coordinating with the Catalan police and FC Barcelona on the matter.
In a corresponding statement, Barcelona reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to preserving the core values of football and sportsmanship, emphasising the crucial principle of respecting opponents.
The club also declared its determination to conduct a thorough investigation into the reported racist insults that had taken place during the match.
Vinicius has been subjected to racist abuse on several occasions in recent years, including in the same fixture last season and as recently as in last week's league encounter against Sevilla.
Devesh Jaganath
