Soccer-Argentine players detained in Brazil after alleged racist incident

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian authorities ruled to keep four Argentine soccer players in preventive detention on Monday after their alleged involvement in a racist incident during the Ladies Cup tournament in Sao Paulo state last week.

Candela Diaz, Camila Duarte, Juana Cangaro and Milagros Diaz were arrested after a game between their River Plate team and Brazil’s Gremio, during which the Brazilian club alleges the four players made racist remarks and gestures.

Judicial officials decided to hold the players in preventive detention to stop them leaving Brazil, according to the Sao Paulo Public Security Department.

In a video clip from the official Canal GOAT broadcast shared on social media, Candela Diaz appears to imitate a monkey towards someone off camera.

Gremio said in a statement that their players came to the defence of a Gremio ball boy and in turn were racially abused.

“While defending the ball boy, the Gremio players were also victims of racist words and gestures,” the Brazilian club said.

The organisers of the Ladies Cup – a usually friendly event created to promote women’s soccer – said in a statement that River Plate had been eliminated from the tournament and suspended from participating for two years.

River Plate condemned the players’ gestures and said in a statement the club were taking appropriate disciplinary measures and “will continue working to eradicate this type of conduct”.

Reuters attempted to contact the River Plate players’ lawyer, Thais Sankari, but have not received a response.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Isabel Teles; Editing by Ken Ferris)