In Alverca, on the northern edge of Lisbon, a reserve-team match has left a Brazilian goalkeeper without a club and alleging that racism and xenophobia lay behind the confrontation. Mateus Oliveira, known as Mateusão, was released by FC Alverca after striking an Oliveira do Hospital player during Saturday’s game between the sides’ B teams.
Key takeaways
- Mateusão, 24, says the incident followed racist and xenophobic abuse directed at him in the 94th minute.
- The goalkeeper said he was called “monkey”, “dirty Black” and told to “go back to your country”.
- FC Alverca dismissed the Brazilian after the physical altercation with an opposing player.
- The Palmeiras academy product said witnesses saw and heard the alleged abuse, but did not speak out.
- He apologised to Alverca teammates and staff while questioning the club’s support for anti-racism causes.
A confrontation at the end of the match
The incident came late in the fixture, with Mateusão saying the alleged insults began around the 94th minute. He responded physically against the Oliveira do Hospital player and was subsequently let go by Alverca.
In a statement published on Tuesday, the goalkeeper said the abuse was not an isolated provocation but part of a longer experience of discrimination in football. He said he has heard similar language for more than a decade, both in Brazil and abroad.
“There were witnesses,” Mateusão said, adding that many people present had seen and heard what happened but remained silent. He argued that racist abuse cannot be diminished simply because his own response was violent, saying one wrong does not excuse another while racism must not be normalised.
The 24-year-old asked what practical route players are expected to take when they are targeted: remain quiet, make a complaint that brings no outcome, or accept the familiar suggestion that such behaviour is merely part of the game. He said repeated offences eventually become unbearable, describing the episode as the breaking point after years of insults.
Call for action beyond the pitch
Mateusão offered an apology to his teammates and to the club, but said he had expected greater solidarity from Alverca. In his statement, he referred to Vinícius Júnior’s connection with the club, although the Real Madrid forward is not officially an owner of FC Alverca despite reports surrounding the group that acquired shares in the Portuguese side.
The goalkeeper linked his own experience to Vinícius Júnior’s widely documented battles against racist abuse in Spanish football, describing the contrast as bitter.
He said players were exhausted by xenophobia and by what he called a daily crime that too often brings neither accountability nor justice. His appeal was directed at clubs, leagues and federations across the game: incidents on the field, he said, cannot be allowed to remain there.
