Painted Nails, Unpainted Truths: How Celta Viga Stood For Something Bigger Than Football

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 21:01 IST

Borja Iglesias faced homophobic abuse after painting his nails -- an episode that exposes a truth football knows all too well: abuse like this isn’t rare. It’s routine.

Football loves calling itself “the beautiful game". On one night in Vigo, it actually lived up to the name.

What should have been a routine La Liga fixture between Celta Vigo and Rayo Vallecano turned into a quiet, powerful stand against homophobia.

No banners. No speeches. Just colour on fingernails and a message impossible to miss.

The spark was Borja Iglesias. A week earlier in Seville, the Celta striker was subjected to homophobic abuse for painting his nails. Iglesias, never one to stay silent, responded online with sharp sarcasm: “How strange, this never happens in football."

La Liga condemned it. Sevilla backed the stance. But the episode exposed a truth football knows all too well: abuse like this isn’t rare. It’s routine.

We’d already seen it play out live on television. Real Betis’ Aitor Ruibal was heckled with the same slur during a post-match interview. His reply cut deeper than any comeback: “It doesn’t matter, this happens to me in every match."

Ruibal, Iglesias and Hector Bellerin — all former Betis teammates — have consistently challenged football’s rigid ideas of masculinity. And they’ve paid for it with mockery, abuse and indifference.

This time, though, the response was different.

Celta’s supporters group, Carcamans Celestes, called for fans to paint their nails in solidarity for the Rayo match. Thousands did. The players did too. And the club didn’t just allow it — they amplified it.

“This is about values," a Celta spokesperson said. “Respect and equality aren’t negotiable. Football should be a place where people can be themselves without fear."

That message matters because the problem is bigger than one incident. A recent Out and Out Football survey found that nearly three-quarters of LGBTQ+ fans have experienced or heard anti-LGBTQ+ abuse while watching men’s football. More than 90% believe their experience would improve if the game took homophobia seriously. And 93% say stronger punishment would make a real difference.

So no, this wasn’t a gimmick. It was a line drawn.

On that night at Balaidos, football didn’t just entertain. It chose what it stands for.

For all who think otherwise, here’s all I have to say: Let the beautiful game remain the same. Joga Bonito.

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