'Asencio, die' chants cause disruption in Madrid's victory over Sociedad

Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey semifinal against Real Sociedad was momentarily suspended after home fans directed abusive chants at Madrid defender Raúl Asencio.

The match was halted when Madrid captain Vinícius Júnior informed referee José María Sánchez Martínez about chants of “Asencio, die” emanating from the stands.

Acting under Spain's anti-hate protocol, the referee paused play to address the situation. A message was displayed on the stadium’s big screens and announced over the loudspeakers, urging fans to respect opponents and reject hateful language.

“No to racist, xenophobic, or intolerant chants. Support the team while respecting the rival,” the statement read.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti substituted Asencio at halftime, citing both the emotional impact of the incident and the player’s earlier yellow card.

"Vinícius spoke to the referee, the referee stopped the game and applied the protocol," Ancelotti said during his postmatch news conference.

"[The referee] did the right thing. After that, I took [Asencio] off. The player had two things: He was affected by [the chants], and he had a yellow card. So I took him off.

"Nobody likes a stadium to sing 'die' at them," Ancelotti added. "[Asencio] was affected in that sense. He wasn't exactly happy. So I preferred to take him off. His emotions might have affected him."

The 22-year-old Asencio, a rising talent from Madrid’s academy, has recently faced significant scrutiny.

Earlier this month, a court in the Canary Islands ruled to continue investigating his alleged involvement in the distribution of a sexually explicit video involving a minor.

Despite the off-field controversy, Asencio has become an integral part of Madrid’s squad, notably starting in both legs of their Champions League playoff against Manchester City.

The game resumed after the protocol was enacted, and Madrid secured a 1-0 victory thanks to an early goal from Endrick.