Getafe game suspended after fans aim chants at Mason Greenwood as manager releases furious statement
Getafe’s La Liga match against Deportivo Alaves was briefly halted after fans directed chants at Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood.
Greenwood has been on loan at Getafe for the entire season following Manchester United’s internal investigation into his behavior last year.
The investigation began after charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior, and assault against the 23-year-old were dropped by the CPS last February, citing that “a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.”
This season, Greenwood has scored eight goals and provided six assists in La Liga, making him Getafe’s third-highest goalscorer behind Borja Mayoral (15) and Samu Omorodion (nine).
However, he was unable to add to his tally in Getafe’s 1-0 away loss to Alaves on Friday night.On 18 minutes, referee Jorge Figueroa Vazquez temporarily stopped the match due to audible chants of “Greenwood, die” directed at the Manchester United loanee.
An announcement over the PA system requested that home fans stop the chants towards Greenwood, and according to the Daily Express, the chanting decreased after the message was broadcast.
Getafe manager Jose Bordalas was outraged by the referee’s handling of the situation, stating to the media after the game: “The referee slammed the door at the end of the game. He said, ‘I’m sick and tired of putting up with this team.’ Imagine if any player or coach had said that. They would have sanctioned us.
“Now there is no sanction for the referees? It’s what we can’t understand. He says, ‘I’m fed up with this team.’ It always happens to us with this referee; it doesn’t happen to us with any others.
“There was a very important detail. They sang, ‘Greenwood, die.’ The protocol says that when it happens a second time, the game must be stopped and the players must go to the locker room.
“It has not been done, and if the referees are the first to not comply with the protocol, the insults and racism will never end.” It’s concerning to hear about such behavior from fans during a match. It’s important for clubs and authorities to take strong action to address such incidents and uphold the dignity and respect for all players on the field.
