Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr says he was racially abused in loss to Valencia; La Liga confirmed
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr says he was racially abused in loss to Valencia; La Liga confirmed
kangge vk
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr says he was racially abused in loss to Valencia; La Liga confirmed
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. has spoken out after he was racially abused by a fan before he was sacked in Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Valencia.
The game at the Mestalla in Valencia, Spain, was halted for almost ten minutes in the second half as an emotional Vinicius shouted at the fans seated behind the Valencia goal.
"It's not the first time, nor the second or the third. Racism is normal in La Liga," Vinicius wrote. "The competition considers it normal and the [Spanish Football Federation] federation and opponents encourage it."
"I'm sorry. The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Ronaldo and Messi now belongs to the racists. A beautiful country welcomes me, I love it, but agree to export racist countries to the world image of.
"To the Spaniards who disagree, I'm sorry, but today Spain is called a racist country in Brazil. Unfortunately, for everything that happens every week, I can't defend it. I agree. But." I'm strong , I will fight the racists to the end. Even if there is still a long way to go. "
Brazil-born Vinicius was sent off after an altercation with Valencia's Hugo Duro in the 97th minute.
Vinicius also gestured to the Valencia bench on the way off the pitch, sparking a second confrontation.
"I don't want to talk about football today, I want to talk about what happened. It's more important than losing," Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said of The Athletic. "What happened today couldn't have happened, that's clear. If you yell 'monkey' at a player and the coach thinks about taking that player off the floor, something bad is going to happen in this league.
"I asked him, but he wanted to move on. I told him I didn't think it was fair that he had to play the game; you were not the culprit, you were the victim. He played it all the time. Most importantly, they gave him A red card was shown, it didn't make sense because it wasn't an act of aggression.
"We have problems, he has no problems. For me Vinicius is the greatest player in the world, the strongest. La Liga has problems. They have to end this racism for me. There is no other way.
"Pooh was sad, angry, but sadder. That couldn't have happened."
La Liga is investigating and has vowed to take "appropriate legal action" if a "hate crime is discovered".
"The Valencia club would like to publicly condemn all kinds of insults and attacks in football...Although this is an isolated case, insults to opposing players have no place in football and are not in line with Valencia The values and identity of the club," Valencia said in a statement.
"Valencia CF also condemns any criminal acts and demands the utmost respect from our fans. While the Valencia club strongly condemns these isolated incidents, he would like to thank the over 46,000 fans who were there for their support."
Sunday's racist incident was the latest that Vinicius has faced in previous seasons. La Liga has lodged multiple formal complaints against four other clubs following similar incidents.
"We cannot accept it, we cannot tolerate it," Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told ESPN. "If Pooh wants to play, we'll play. But if Pooh says he doesn't want to play, I'll walk off the field with him. We don't tolerate these things."
Spanish prosecutors have opened an investigation into the racist abuse of Real Madrid's Brazilian striker Vinícius Júnior during a weekend match, after the head of the Spanish Football Federation admitted there was a "problem" with racism in the country.
Prosecutors in the eastern city of Valencia, where the match was played, are investigating what could be a "hate crime" after Luis Rubiales of the Spanish Royal Football Federation called for zero tolerance, judicial sources said. event.
Officials, players and former players in Brazil and Spain expressed their solidarity with Vinicius, 22, who considered leaving the pitch on Sunday after he was racially abused in Real Madrid's 1-0 loss to Valencia in the Spanish league. Discrimination, exposed by fans.
"We have behavioral, educational and racist issues," Rubiales said. "As soon as a fan or group of fans is insulting a person based on their sexual orientation, race or beliefs, then we have a serious problem."
Valencia said it had banned one fan for life and was trying to identify others. "The club has analyzed all available footage and has been working with the authorities as quickly as possible to resolve the incident," the club said in a statement.
Real Madrid said it strongly condemned the incident, which it believed to be a hate crime. “These events represent a direct attack on the social and democratic model of coexistence of our state based on the rule of law,” the club said.
Speaking after Sunday’s game, Real Madrid’s Italian manager, Carlo Ancelotti, said the racist abuse – in which Vinícius was repeatedly called a “monkey” – highlighted how “something bad is happening in this league”.
The Spanish league has made nine similar formal complaints for racist abuse against Vinícius over the past two seasons, most of which have been shelved. Fans have been fined and banned from stadiums, but so far only a Mallorca supporter may end up going on trial for allegedly racially insulting the Brazilian during a game.
The first ever trial of a fan accused of racial abuse in Spanish professional football is expected to happen at some point this year in a case involving the Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams, who was insulted by an Espanyol supporter during a match in 2020.
“Nothing will happen, because this has already taken place several times in other stadiums and nothing has been done,” Ancelotti said on Monday. “Nothing. We have to evaluate this situation, because it is very serious.”
Vinícius himself claimed Spain was now known “as a country of racists” in Brazil. “Racism is normal in La Liga,” he wrote on Twitter. “This championship which was once that of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi now is that of racists.”
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, called on Fifa and La Liga to take “serious measures” after Sunday’s scenes at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium. “We cannot allow fascism and racism to seize control of football stadiums,” Lula said.
“It’s unjust that a poor kid who’s done so well in life, who may be on his way to becoming the best in the world – he’s certainly the best at Real Madrid – gets insulted at every stadium where he plays,” the Brazilian president said in Japan.
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, center, leaves the pitch after being shown a red card during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valencia and Real Madrid, at the Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, May 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
‘Racism is normal in La Liga’: Vinícius Júnior outraged by abuse at Valencia
Read more
Cabinet members, including the justice minister, Flávio Dino, also demanded action from Spanish authorities. “This is deplorable, unacceptable and there must be consequences,” Dino tweeted.
Vinícius also received widespread support from within football. The Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he heard “monkey noises” after about 20 minutes of the game, adding he would have walked off with the Brazilian if he had chosen to stop playing.
“We cannot tolerate these things,” Courtois said. The French forward Kylian Mbappé posted: “You’re not alone.”
Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, expressed his full solidarity with Vinícius, who has been in Spain for five years. “There is no place for racism in football or in society and Fifa stands by all players who have found themselves in such a situation,” he said.
Former players were also outraged. The former England defender Rio Ferdinand asked how many more times Vinícius would be “subjected to this shit. I see pain, I see disgust, I see him needing help … and the authorities don’t do shit,” he said.
The former Brazil striker Ronaldo, who spent five seasons playing for Real Madrid in the 2000s, said: “Another case of racism against Vinícius in the Spanish league. Until when? As long as there is impunity, there will be racism.”
Javier Tebas, the Spanish league president, hit out at Vinícius for attacking La Liga, saying the player had not shown up for talks on the subject of racism that he had requested himself. Vinícius was highly critical of Tebas’s stance.
“The image of your championship is shaken … All your omission achieves is making you equal to the racists … I want action and punishment,” wrote the player, who was sent off in the last minutes of the match after being held in a headlock by a Valencia player.
Upvote
kangge vk
Related Articles