Spanish footballer Nacho Ruiz addresses homophobic abuse from fans: ‘Let’s not normalise this’
"Regardless of whether these insults affect me or not, which they don’t," says Ruiz
By Aaron Sugg
Spanish footballer and model Nacho Ruiz speaks out after enduring verbal homophobic abuse from fans at a match last weekend, saying that the insults do not affect him.
The 28-year-old semi-professional footballer, who plays left-back for Unión Balompédica Conquense, spoke out on social media after receiving anti-gay slurs from the sidelines during his most recent match.
On his Instagram story, Ruiz wrote: “I would like to denounce the homophobic and sexist insults I received in today’s match in Quintanar del Rey from a large part of the stands.”
“‘Poor mother who has a girl and not a man'” – Nacho Ruiz recalls the homophobic abuse hurled at him during a Spanish football game
Ruiz listed the insults he heard from the football stands, such as: “faggot, fucking faggot’ (feminine), ‘daughter of a bitch’, ‘brat’, ‘pretty girl’, ‘girl, you’re a girl’, [and] ‘poor mother who has a girl and not a man.’”
He continued to clarify his sexuality: “Regardless of whether these insults affect me or not, which they don’t,” he said.
He added: “Since I can receive such words or threats on social media simply because of the way I dress and I have never spoken out about it, I think it is regrettable that in the 21st century there is still this hatred in football fields, whether it be homophobia, sexism, racism… let’s not normalise this.”
“We have very normalised that we receive insults” – Ruiz on football fans’s homophobic rhetoric
In a report by Spanish news outlet eldiario, Ruiz said he blew a kiss towards the fans who were insulting him.
As well as speaking out online, the Spanish model appeared at a press conference yesterday (18 November), where he spoke publicly about the abuse.
“It’s the first time this has happened to me and I hope it’s the last time, not just for me. In the world of football, we have very normalised that we receive insults,” he said.
“No other footballer has to go through something similar” – Ruiz on why he is speaking out about the abuse
He said he brought it to the football platform “so that no other footballer has to go through something similar,” drawing attention not just to his Instagram following but to the wider football world.
His Cuenca football team published a statement expressing shock and disbelief that one of their players would be the victim of such rhetoric.
“Football should be a space of respect and enjoyment for all involved, including the fans, and situations like yesterday’s in Quintanar should never be repeated in the 21st century,” read the statement, which concluded with the line: “We’re with you, Nacho.”