Dani Alves shuts down racist sports fans — salon.com

It wasn’t the first time he’d been taunted like that. Daniel Alves, the Brazilian footballer who plays for Barcelona, has endured this particular form of racist abuse from fans before. But this time he impulsively did something about it. And it was brilliant. In the midst of a Sunday match in Villarreal, someone tossed a banana onto the pitch and at the player. Unfazed, Alves smoothly picked it up, peeled it, took a hearty bite – and then took his kick. Barcelona, by the way, went on to win the game 3 – 2. After the game, Alves asked, “Who threw the banana? I don’t know but I want to thank them because it gave me the energy to make two more crosses that ended up in a goal.” And on Instagram, football star Neymar showed support by posting a photo of himself with a banana and his son with a toy version of the fruit, along with the message, “We are all monkeys, we are all the same. It’s time for people to say enough. Take a pic while eating a banana. Say no to Racism!”

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