During the Getafe-Real Madrid match at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, sections of the stands began chanting “Ceballos, die,” just as Dani Ceballos, Real Madrid’s midfield star, was preparing to replace Arda Güler.

Referee Sánchez Martínez approached both benches and security personnel to activate the protocol established for such situations—a protocol designed to address offensive chants against players.

The roots of this hostility trace back nearly a decade to 2016, when Ceballos was playing for Real Betis. In one of the final matchdays of the season at the Benito Villamarín Stadium against Getafe, Ceballos reportedly told Juan Cala, a Getafe player, and a member of the coaching staff: “I hope you go to the second division and rot there.” This comment infuriated Cala, who lunged at Ceballos, requiring intervention from others.

Juan Merino, Betis’ coach at the time, did not condone his player’s behavior, stating: “I’m very straightforward. When you win the game and the opponent is a man down, you must behave properly. Dani must learn to respect opponents. That’s what upset Cala. You must compete with respect. Dani needs to improve in many aspects to become a better footballer and a better person.”