Journalist José Manuel Bort Exposes Racism in Mestalla’s Sector 5

José Manuel Bort, affectionately known as Peyo among friends, is the author of an article published today in Levante EMV titled “The Racist of Sector 5 in Mestalla.” In a conversation with MARCA, Peyo, a seasoned journalist, shares his distressing account that goes beyond mere personal experience.

“It was unbearable, Diego,” he states upon answering the phone. Peyo has endured this situation for an extended period, feeling increasingly frustrated after each match until he could no longer remain silent. He has formally reported the incidents involving the ‘racist from Sector 5 of Mestalla.’

The narrative is shocking. Peyo arrived in Sector 5 last season, seeking a more central location in the stadium that aligned with his childhood memories of attending games with his father. However, he soon encountered a significant problem. As he recounts in his article, a man, accompanied by three relatives, began hurling racist insults at anyone who passed by. Phrases such as “Filthy black! Go back to Bioparc! Gypsy! Boat black!” were among the repeated abuses he witnessed during each match. “Don’t shake hands with him; the Moor will stab you!” he yelled at Valencia player Diego López as he greeted Lamine Yamal. More insults followed directed at Lamine and Raphinha: “Show him (to the referee) a yellow for being dirty and a red for being black,” and a recurring jeer: “Boat black!” The article poignantly describes the gravity of the situation.

Peyo decided to take action by first addressing the issue with Valencia’s management, who directed him to LaLiga. Following an inadequate response, he utilized LaLiga’s complaint hotline, and ultimately, out of frustration, he approached the courts after discussing the matter with fellow spectators. “It has been intolerable. Even my son said he could no longer endure it. One day, I spoke with my neighbors, and they felt the same way. I decided to report it, and we have five witnesses ready to testify,” he explains. In his article, Peyo notes that the insults never ceased. “The abuse continued every match, consistently brutal: ‘Terrorists!’ aimed at players from Athletic while two Bilbao fans were nearby, ‘Gypsies!’ directed at Betis supporters, ‘South Americans!’ and statements like, ‘I would pay 50 cents for every bullet in a red’s head. A dead red is a good red,’ were common, uttered without clear provocation. One day, the perpetrator even targeted Valencia CF player Mosquera: ‘What a bad boat black this is.’

LaLiga eventually reached out to him and acknowledged that they had monitored the situation at times, but no decisive action was taken. Peyo even offered his seat to LaLiga’s observers to facilitate their monitoring. After enduring over ten months of this toxicity, armed with the support of witnesses, he decided to file a complaint with the Valencian Hate Prosecutor’s Office on October 29. “The worst part is that people in the sector stopped confronting him to avoid further conflict. It was only when newcomers arrived that they would turn around and admonish him. When children were present, they would turn away, terrified by the hateful words spewing from his mouth.”

“At the end of last season, I chose to record the insults. Given the challenges of capturing the incidents visually—I assure you, I explored every option to avoid detection—I opted to use my mobile phone’s recorder. Out of around 30 matches, I successfully recorded his voice on five occasions, but I gathered enough material to proceed with the complaint. Peyo understood the necessity of having tangible evidence to support his claim. He initially considered using a camera to document the abuse, but ultimately pressed ‘REC’ on his mobile, quickly accumulating sufficient evidence for the report.”