A rival fan who targeted Marcus Rashford with racial abuse could be imprisoned for more than a year

A Real Oviedo fan is facing a potential 15-month prison sentence after aiming a racist insult at Marcus Rashford. The Barcelona star, who joined on a season-long loan deal from Manchester United last summer, faced Oviedo at the Carlos Tartiere Stadium on September 25 of last year.

A 19-year-old home supporter shouted a racist insult as the Barcelona forward was preparing to take a corner during the La Liga fixture. The fan in question allegedly called the England international a Spanish form of the N-word.

The incident was caught on camera by a fan in the stands and uploaded on social media. The clip quickly spread online and reached nearly 29 million views in less than 24 hours.

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According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the comment was clearly audible to other spectators and carried a clear racist intent directed at the player because of his skin colour, causing Rashford feelings of ‘frustration, shame and humiliation.’

From a legal standpoint, prosecutors are treating the case as a crime against dignity on racist grounds under Article 510.2.a and 510.5 of the Spanish Criminal Code, combined with an offence against moral integrity under Article 173.1.

In addition to the prison term requested, they are seeking a fine of €2,880 (£2,500), a four-year ban on working in teaching, sports or leisure environments, disqualification from passive suffrage and €2,000 (£1,738) in compensation for moral damages.

If the court were to convict solely on the offence against moral integrity, prosecutors are still pushing for the same prison term, alongside a stadium ban of more than five years covering competitions organised by La Liga, the RFEF, UEFA and FIFA.

The case follows the identification of the fan by the National Police using stadium security cameras and the opening of legal proceedings for hate crimes in the sports arena.

The incident involving Rashford is not the only recent controversy linked to Oviedo’s stadium. According to reports from Spanish media, the Asturias Prosecutor’s Office has also filed another case against a different supporter for racist abuse directed at Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid’s French striker, during a match played on August 24.