http://youtu.be/KTLlt83xmX8
Players from Racing Santander refused to play in Thursday evening’s Copa Del Rey clash with Real Sociedad after failing to be paid for a number of months.
Earlier in the day the playing staff released a statement insisting they would boycott the match unless president Angel Lavin (pictured above) and his board stepped down immediately.
“If at 2100 (CET) the Racing board is the same as now, they will not play,” said Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) chief Luis Rubiales.
“The squad decided something last Monday which they made public, and they continue thinking exactly the same, that if the current board has not resigned by the time of the game they are not going to play. They have the complete backing of the AFE, as always.”
After completing the warm-up the players – along with the club’s coaching staff – stood arm in arm and refused to get involved as Lavin and his board had not stepped down.
Sociedad passed the ball amongst themselves before kicking it out for a throw-in. At that point the referee suspended the game.
Racing Santander have suffered two consecutive relegations and are current languishing in the third tier of Spanish football.
