Real Madrid’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League by Arsenal was a heavy blow to the fans, especially given the rarity of such a failure for a team accustomed to reaching the finals and holding 15 titles in the competition.

Perhaps this explains the controversial remarks by a fan—who happens to be the mayor of Ourense in Galicia—about Real Madrid’s transfer policy.

Gonzalo Pérez Jacome, the mayor of Ourense, tweeted after the match: “If Real Madrid thought buying a large number of black players would create a physical difference in matches, it shows a lack of understanding of football and even athletics.”

The comment quickly went viral on social media, receiving thousands of likes and over 300 comments.

The newspaper Marca points out that this is not the first time Gonzalo Pérez, from the Democracy of Ourense party, has been at the center of controversy. He recently replaced municipal press conferences with videos on his YouTube channel.