Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior has been subjected to racist abuse by spectators during several games in the Spanish league. The latest incident occurred last weekend during a match at Barcelona where racist insults were hurled at Vinicius, who is Black, during the 2-1 win that put the home team in control of the title race. It was the eighth such complaint that the league has filed this season alone, in a bid to combat racial abuse in sports.
Vinicius has been subjected to racist abuse since he arrived in Spain five years ago, with little done to punish the offending fans. The attacks have reportedly increased in frequency, especially after the 22-year-old Brazil forward emerged as one of Madrid’s stars.
The player helped Madrid win the Champions League and Spanish league last season. Despite this, the authorities have yet to find those responsible for some of the attacks.
Vinicius response: “Not everyone can have the mentality that I have”
Vinicius spoke out about racism at the end of training with the Brazilian national soccer team: “Not everyone can have the mentality that I have. Of course, every interview I give is very sad to have to talk about it. We hope there are fewer cases of racism and we hope for a better world…. “.
The Real Madrid striker reflected on one of the most recurring themes recently on the soccer fields and announced his involvement in future projects to eradicate racism.
“It’s always very difficult to talk about racism, but every day that goes by I’m maturing more to be able to talk about it better. My family and I are thinking of doing an anti-racism project for children in Brazil who suffer….”.
The Brazilian’s statements had a response through LaLiga, which showed its support to the footballer in his fight against this problem. “LaLiga and the Clubs continue to work to end this scourge. We are all united against racism“.
In an attempt to tackle the issue, the Spanish league has increased the number of overseers at matches, especially those where Vinicius plays, and encouraged fans to report any incidents of racial abuse. The league has also filed complaints with judicial authorities, but so far, there has been little action to address the problem.
Source: Marca
