The insults suffered by the Brazilian striker Vinicius Jr. on Sunday at the Valencia stadium raised a new wave of indignation, raising the shadow of racism in Spanish football once again. “The first thing is to recognize that we have a problem of behaviour, education, racism…”, affirmed the president of the Spanish Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, for whom “as long as there is only one fan, only one undesirable or group of undesirables, who insults because of sexual condition, skin color or creed, we have a serious problem”.
For this reason, the club urges the RFEF to act “forcefully and immediately (…) to combat these scourges that are racism, xenophobia and hatred.”
On Sunday Vinicius, often criticized for clashing with rival fans and players, complained about being called a “monkey” in the 1-0 loss against Valencia.
“It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga. The competition thinks it’s normal, the same is true of the Federation and the rivals encourage it,” said the Brazilian player on his social media.
Sent off after an altercation with a rival, who on the other hand did not see the red card, Vinicius added that “the prize that racists win is my expulsion” and called for “action and punishment”.
The racist insults Vinícius Jr. received drew strong condemnation from top world leaders such as President Lula da Silva to colleagues like Frenchman Kylian Mbappé and his compatriot Neymar.
Sunday’s day of the Spanish League was stained once again by a case of racism against the Brazilian striker and the repercussions crossed the line of sport.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his “solidarity” with the player at a press conference at the close of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
“It is not possible, in the 21st century, to have such a strong racial prejudice in so many football stadiums. It is unfair that a poor boy who has done so well in life, who will perhaps become the best in the world, is insulted in every stadium in which he plays, ”he condemned.
On this occasion, “Vini” was unloaded against LaLiga and also against Spain, since he assured that in his country, Brazil, it is known as a “racist country”.
This generated the response of the political leadership of Spain: “Racist chants in soccer stadiums do not represent our country, nor any soccer fan,” said the second vice president of the government, Yolanda Díaz.
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, also expressed herself in this regard and stated that Spain “is not a racist country.”
The one who was the strongest in defending the country and the competition was the controversial Javier Tebas, who considered it “very unfair” to say that LaLiga and Spain “are racist.”
In this sense, Tebas asserted: “From LaLiga we denounce and pursue racism with all the harshness within our powers.”
However, Ronaldo, an icon of Brazilian soccer and with a strong preponderance in Spain, lamented a new episode of racism in the Spanish championship.
“Even when? As long as there is impunity and collusion, there will be racism. It is unacceptable that the referees, the Federation and the authorities are also without action and that the fans applaud such an absurd amount. Enough”, pointed out the “Fenómeno”, also president of Valladolid.
In the football environment, expressions of solidarity towards Vinícius came from different parts of the world.
In defence
The Frenchman Kylian Mbappé was one of the first to echo the situation and published on his Instagram account: “You are not alone. We are with you and we support you.”
Along the same lines, his compatriot Neymar spoke, who also denounced racist insults during his time in Barcelona.
From England, former defender Rio Ferdinand wondered: “Who protects Vinícius in Spain? How many times do we have to see this young man subjected to this shit?
In his role as a television commentator, Ferdinand also accused the authorities of not doing their best to help him.
The president of FIFA, the Swiss Gianni Infantino, pointed out that “there is no place for racism in football or in society. FIFA supports all the players and all the players who have suffered it in their own flesh, ”he added.
The Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernández, was asked about it at a press conference and put the rivalry aside.
“That these things continue to happen in 2023 is sad and unfortunate. Here there are no shields, it is about people and we have to condemn any act of racism like the one yesterday at Mestalla with Vinícius, ”she stressed.
Vinícius met yesterday with the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, and the club gave all its support to one of its figures. Valencia condemned events that occurred in its stadium and announced that it will expel those responsible “for life”. One is already identified and they are working to do it with the rest.
The president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, also condemned the events. “We reiterate our commitment to eradicate all forms of violence and discrimination. Enough of racism! Strength Vinicius, we are with you! ”Wrote the Paraguayan manager.
In turn, the South American Confederation published: “CONMEBOL condemns any manifestation of racism and other forms of violence and expresses its support for the player Vinicius Junior. Football is synonymous with equality and respect on and off the pitch”.
In the midst of this unfortunate fact, the Spanish media pointed out that the striker could receive two dates of suspension due to the expulsion.
This could add a new reason for the footballer, who is seriously considering the possibility of leaving the Spanish League despite having a contract until 2027 and a million-dollar termination clause.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
