No winners, few certainties and Leeds United must put side before self in Kiko Casilla racism saga - Graham Smyth

Debate has raged over Casilla in the Leeds United bubble and beyond, since the FA published the verdict of the case last Friday night at the bewildering time of 7.30pm.

By the time United fans were chanting the Spaniard’s name at Hull City on Saturday, Leeds supporters had already been largely divided into two camps – those happy to belt out the name of a player sitting out the game on a racism ban they had concluded was unjust, and those experiencing various levels of discomfort at hearing the song.

On Tuesday evening the FA released the written reasons, a thorough explanation of what the independent regulatory commission [IRC] had considered and decided during their deliberations.

READ: Written reasons behind Casilla racism banIt was enlightening, it did not make for good reading from a Leeds United point of view, yet still two camps remain.

Everyone concerned can agree on two things at least.

Firstly, Casilla has not been proven to be a racist.

Secondly, there are no winners here.

For Leko, who the IRC found to be an impressive and reliable witness, he will have to live with all the harm that goes with racist abuse. He was adamant he heard Casilla use the n-word and the IRC believed his evidence. For that, for reporting that, he has been dragged through a lengthy and presumably arduous, nerve-wracking ordeal, the end of which has brought him grief on social media from a mindless minority.

Bonne too has suffered online, say Charlton Athletic, for playing his part in reporting what he was convinced was racist abuse directed at a team-mate on a football pitch from a fellow professional.

Casilla was not tagged as a racist by the game’s authorities but, because they decided he did indeed say something of a racist nature, something they felt was hugely out of character, he will miss eight games of Leeds United’s promotion run-in, has been hit significantly in the pocket and the long-term Elland Road future for the 33-year-old keeper is now surely in some element of doubt.

His evidence, when interviewed on October 24 almost a month after the incident, that he had neither heard nor used the English n-word before, not even in the various discussions that took place about what happened on The Valley pitch in the minutes, hours, days and weeks that followed, was dismissed by the IRC.

It would take, to put it mildly, blind faith in the character of a man that we don’t know on any kind of personal level, and a giant leap of imagination, to believe that.

Leeds were well aware of the exact allegation – his team-mates, some of whom did not impress the IRC while giving evidence – were informed on the bus back to Yorkshire that very day, so for Casilla’s plea of ignorance to be believed would mean that he did not once enquire as to what exactly he had been accused of.

Team-manager Matt Grice, the IRC said, was ‘giving such evidence as he thought could most assist Casilla’ and not seeking to assist the panel’s search for the truth.

The flaws they saw in Casilla’s case, together with the credible evidence the IRC believed they had been given by Leko and Bonne led them to their verdict.

That the written reasons failed to bring complete clarity to every Leeds supporter was no surprise and nor, sadly, was the reaction of whoever saw fit to take aim at Leko and Bonne.

No matter which camp you find yourself in, you are in the wrong if lashing out at the victim and a witness is your response of choice.

You don’t represent Leeds United, its fanbase, history or values.

Many will, of course, continue to back Casilla and sing his name, many will stay silent and hope that the result of this dark, unfortunate chapter is his removal from Elland Road. He has become a divisive figure and this issue has the potential to tear the fanbase assunder.

It cannot be allowed to overshadow or derail everything the club is trying to achieve, at the most important time of the season, and Leeds have the power to ensure that, while supporting Casilla privately as is their right and responsibility, he remains out of the picture.

With a game against Charlton still to come on the final day of the season, what a shame it would be to have this bitterly unfortunate affair dominating headlines again, ahead of what everyone associated with the club, the YEP included, hopes will be a day of celebration.

Side before self, every time, without exception.