Sunday’s La Liga match between Elche and Espanyol was paused for three minutes after the referee initiated Uefa’s racism protocol following a player allegation.
Protocol activated in Alicante
Referee Iosu Galech Apezteguia stated in his official report that proceedings were stopped in the 78th minute.
Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali alleged that opponent Rafa Mir had directed a racist comment towards him during the second half.
According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, the official immediately followed the required guidelines upon receiving the complaint.
Under Uefa regulations, the referee is mandated to suspend play and relay specific details of the incident to the fourth official if a player reports abuse.
Clubs issue statements
Espanyol quickly moved to show public support for the 22-year-old Morocco international.
The Catalan club posted an image of the Spain-born defender on social media accompanied by the message "with you".
La Liga subsequently released a statement condemning "any racist act," adding that hate has no place on or off the field.
Elche acknowledged the gravity of discriminatory acts but urged caution regarding the accusation against their forward.
The hosts noted an "absence of evidence" regarding the alleged comment.
Mir, the player at the centre of the allegation, later scored a 90th-minute penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw for his side.
Wider context of abuse
This incident follows a similar activation of the racism protocol during a recent Champions League fixture involving Real Madrid.
Vinicius Jr reported abuse from Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni during the first leg of a play-off tie.
Although the Argentina international denied the claim, he received a provisional one-match ban from Uefa pending a full investigation.
The Brazilian forward has frequently been the target of discriminatory behaviour during his eight years in Spain.
In May 2025, five individuals received suspended prison sentences for abusing Vinicius in what was described as an "unprecedented" ruling.
Nottingham Forest manager Vitor Pereira insists he is ignoring the Premier League table as his side attempt to balance a relegation battle with their European campaign.
The Portuguese coach is still searching for his first league victory since taking charge at the City Ground, with Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton extending the club’s winless run to five matches.
With just 10 fixtures remaining, the East Midlands outfit sit perilously close to the drop, hovering only two points above the bottom three.
However, Pereira believes checking the standings will only serve as a distraction for his struggling squad.
“I believe we need to focus on the present and focus on the day we play, focus on the game we are playing,” Pereira told BBC Sport.
“The future… we will see what happens. If you lose your focus thinking about what can happen, this is a mistake in my opinion.”
European fatigue a factor?
Forest’s domestic struggles come amidst a gruelling schedule, with the team facing six matches in the opening 22 days of March due to their Europa League commitments.
Although the Reds progressed to the last 16 despite a midweek defeat by Fenerbahce, Pereira acknowledged the heavy toll on his squad ahead of their tie against Danish side Midtjylland.
“The tiredness is not only physical, it’s mental too,” he told Sky Sports. “You need to recover.”
“But this is what we have. You cannot use the Europa League as an excuse because we are there and we are there competing.”
Pereira is the club’s fourth permanent manager of a turbulent campaign, having replaced Sean Dyche last month.
Attacking struggles hamper survival bid
It is a stark contrast to the previous campaign, where Forest finished seventh to secure European football for the first time since 1996.
Goals have been hard to come by without last season’s top scorer Chris Wood, who has been sidelined with a knee injury since October.
Only bottom club Wolves have failed to score in more top-flight games this term than Pereira’s side, who have won just seven of their 28 league outings.
To compound matters, Forest face a difficult run-in compared to their rivals, offering fewer chances to take points directly from teams around them.
Spurs dragged into the mix
Forest are not the only established side looking over their shoulder, with Tottenham also finding themselves in unfamiliar territory near the danger zone.
Spurs sit just four points above the relegation places after new boss Igor Tudor lost his first two league matches at the helm.
Like Forest, the north Londoners are also contending with continental distractions as they navigate the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Leeds United remain in the conversation with only seven wins to their name, though they maintain a six-point cushion over the bottom three.
Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League as a Jurrien Timber winner secured a tense 2-1 victory over 10-man Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side have now recorded back-to-back victories since a late comeback against Wolves in February threatened to derail their title charge.
The Gunners took the lead through their customary dominance at set-pieces, with Mamadou Sarr turning the ball into his own net under pressure from Gabriel and William Saliba.
Liam Rosenior’s visitors responded brightly, levelling the contest before the break with a set-piece goal of their own.
Timber strikes decisive blow
Despite Chelsea’s resilience, the hosts restored their advantage in the second half through Timber.
The Dutch defender capitalised on a corner delivery, punishing Robert Sanchez after the goalkeeper misjudged the flight of the ball.
Chelsea’s task became insurmountable when Pedro Neto was dismissed shortly after conceding the second goal.
The Portuguese winger received a second yellow card, marking the Blues’ record-equalling ninth red card of the current Premier League campaign.
Spotlight falls on Sanchez errors
While Neto received his marching orders, significant scrutiny has fallen on the performance of Chelsea’s number one.
The Spanish shot-stopper appeared uncomfortable in possession throughout the evening and was ultimately faulted for the decisive goal.
Supporters expressed frustration regarding the goalkeeper’s decision-making, with the former Brighton man struggling to command his area during key moments.
The result sees the west Londoners drop out of the top five, falling behind Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.
Arteta’s men, meanwhile, move a step closer to a first league title in over two decades.
Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of reappointing Mauricio Pochettino have received a significant boost with Manchester United unlikely to pursue the Argentine due to World Cup timing constraints.
The former Spurs boss and Roberto De Zerbi have emerged as the leading contenders to replace interim head coach Igor Tudor in north London this summer.
Tottenham are searching for a permanent successor following the departure of Thomas Frank, but they faced potential competition from Manchester United.
However, a strategic decision regarding the recruitment timeline at Old Trafford appears to have cleared the path for the Lilywhites.
United’s pre-tournament deadline
Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly determined to have a new permanent manager in place before the 2026 World Cup begins on 11 June.
The Red Devils want to grant Michael Carrick’s successor maximum time to assess the squad and orchestrate transfer plans before pre-season.
This timeframe effectively rules out a move for Pochettino, who is currently contracted to the United States national team.
The 54-year-old is tasked with leading the co-hosts through the tournament, making him unavailable until the USA’s campaign concludes.
US Soccer Federation sporting director Matt Crocker would strongly resist any approach for the head coach immediately prior to a home World Cup.
Pochettino ‘open’ to future return
With Manchester United seeking an immediate appointment, the stars appear to be aligning for an emotional return to N17 for the Argentine tactician.
Pochettino previously guided the club to the Champions League final in 2019 and remains a popular figure among the Tottenham faithful.
Speaking to Spanish radio regarding the speculation, the USMNT head coach refused to rule out a future move.
“I’m always linked to Tottenham, just like at one time I was linked to Espanyol,” Pochettino said.
“In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren’t going well, people tend to fall back on emotions and say, ‘Well, with Mauricio we played good football’.”
“But no. We’re focused on the World Cup, on the United States. My contract runs until after the World Cup, so after that we’ll see what might happen. Open to everything, right?”
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been ruled out of the Premier League visit of Chelsea after failing to recover sufficiently from a persistent knee injury.
The Norway international originally sustained the problem during a draw against Brentford last month, forcing him to miss two matches.
Although the midfielder returned to the bench for the 4-1 north London derby victory over Tottenham last weekend, providing a late assist, he has not regained full match fitness.
Despite the Gunners enjoying a midweek break following that win, the club have opted to leave their skipper out of the squad entirely for the London derby.
Arteta confirms injury risk
With Odegaard sidelined, Eberechi Eze retains his starting spot in the number 10 role as Arsenal name an unchanged lineup.
Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the decision was taken to protect the player from further damage.
“Unfortunately Martin is still not feeling totally comfortable with that knee injury, and we decided not to risk him.”Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager
Havertz returns to face former club
There is more positive news regarding Kai Havertz, who has been passed fit following a hamstring issue.
The German forward trained successfully on Saturday and has been named among the substitutes against his old employers.
Havertz previously made an impact off the bench in the Carabao Cup semi-final last month, scoring a stoppage-time winner.
“Kai trained really well and he’s fit and available,” Arteta added regarding the forward’s availability.
Pressure in the title race
The absence of their captain comes at a crucial moment for the league leaders.
Pressure has mounted on the north London side after title rivals Manchester City defeated Leeds on Saturday evening.
That result has cut the gap at the summit to just two points, increasing the stakes for the visit of the Blues.
However, Arteta’s side possess a strong recent record in this fixture and are currently on a 10-match unbeaten run against their west London opponents.
Tottenham supporters have voiced their anger at midfielder Conor Gallagher after a 2-1 defeat by Fulham left the club just four points above the Premier League relegation zone.
Igor Tudor’s side are still searching for their first league win of 2026 following another disappointing afternoon at Craven Cottage.
First-half goals from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi condemned the visitors to a loss that significantly increases anxiety in north London.
The Lilywhites now sit in 16th place, holding a slender advantage over 18th-placed West Ham United.
Gallagher struggles on return to London
Much of the post-match frustration has been directed at January signing Conor Gallagher.
The England international arrived from Atletico Madrid for a reported £35m fee, tasked with adding energy and structure to the midfield engine room.
However, the former Chelsea player produced a difficult display against Marco Silva’s side.
Gallagher was withdrawn after 58 minutes having recorded a passing accuracy of just 74%.
Detailed statistics showed he lost possession with 12 of his 37 touches and won only one of four ground duels.
‘Offers absolutely nothing’
The performance prompted a fierce backlash on social media regarding the club’s recruitment strategy.
One supporter described Gallagher as “one of the worst pound-for-pound” signings in recent history.
Another post read:
“Conor Gallagher has made this team so much worse, if you can imagine such a thing.”
A third fan added that the midfielder “offers absolutely nothing” despite the significant financial outlay required to bring him back to the Premier League.
Relegation concerns mount
This latest setback has compounded fears that Tottenham could face a genuine battle for survival.
The club finished a lowly 17th last season under Ange Postecoglou but had enough of a buffer to avoid dropping into the Championship.
With rival teams in the danger zone showing improved form, Tudor’s adopted squad appears to be in a more precarious position this term.
Scrutiny is now turning toward the club’s hierarchy, with Gallagher understood to be the squad’s highest earner on wages exceeding £200,000 per week.
Harry Wilson has given Fulham an early lead against Tottenham Hotspur, firing home in the seventh minute despite protests over a potential foul in the build-up.
The Welsh winger capitalised on a loose ball inside the penalty area to rifle a finish past Guglielmo Vicario.
However, the goal was shrouded in immediate controversy following a physical challenge involving Raul Jimenez and Radu Dragusin.
Spurs protest Jimenez shove
Tottenham defenders were incensed, claiming the Mexican striker had shoved Dragusin in the back to create the opening for his teammate.
Dragusin, stepping into the backline, appeared to be caught off balance by the physicality of the veteran forward before the ball broke kindly for the hosts.
Video Assistant Referee officials reviewed the incident but deemed the contact insufficient to overturn the on-field decision.
A blow for Postecoglou
It comes as a frustrating blow for Ange Postecoglou’s side, who found themselves trailing before settling into the rhythm of this London derby.
For the Cottagers, the strike provided the perfect start in front of an expectant home crowd at Craven Cottage.
Once the space opened up, former Liverpool man Wilson showed no hesitation in dispatching his effort with clinical precision into the corner of the net.
Morgan Gibbs-White produced a moment of individual brilliance to drag Nottingham Forest level against Brighton early in their Premier League clash.
The Forest playmaker struck a majestic leveller in the 13th minute at the Amex Stadium.
His intervention immediately cancelled out an early advantage for the Seagulls.
Midfield maestro strikes
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had been searching for a foothold in the game following a fast start by the hosts.
The England international provided exactly that with a finish of the highest quality.
Finding space in a dangerous area, the 24-year-old displayed superb technique to beat the goalkeeper.
It was a timely reminder of the creative talent possessed by the former Wolves midfielder.
The goal ensured the visitors remained competitive in what developed into a frantic encounter on the south coast.