Dani Alves, the soccer star who plays for FC Barcelona, ate a banana that was thrown at him by a racist fan during his game against Villarreal on Sunday.

Dani Alves' Reaction To Racism

Alves, a defender, was walking over to a corner flag to take a corner kick when a banana was thrown down on the field beside him. The quick-thinking player picked up the banana, peeled it and took a bite before serving the ball in front of the goal. Alves, keeping his clam, didn’t miss a beat.

The Brazilian-born player has grown accustomed to racial abuse during his career in Spain. Dodging bananas and listening to monkey chants have become somewhat par for the course for Alves, who won’t let the ignorance affect his game.

"I've been dealing with the same thing in Spain for the past 11 years," he told Spanish daily Marca. "You have to laugh at these idiots."

Alves’ teammates and other soccer players have shown solidarity in the aftermath of the highly-publicized act of racism. Neymar, who also plays with Alves on the Brazilian national team, tweeted, "Dani Alves owned him. Take That bunch of Racists. We are all Monkeys So What."

"Utterly brilliant reaction from Alves," tweeted former England International Gary Lineker. "Treat the racist berk with complete disdain."

Villarreal, for its part, condemned the act and has issued the fan a lifetime ban from the team's stadium.

– Chelsea Regan