Tobias Sylvester
Real Madrid winger, Vinicius Junior has condemned the racist behavior he endured during a recent match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium in La Liga, Spain.
During the match on Sunday night, May 21, Vinícius Jr drew attention to the Valencia fans who were insulting him, resulting in a 10-minute pause in the game.
Subsequently, the Brazil international got into a confrontation with Valencia players, ultimately resulting in his sending-off from the match in the second half.
Following the match, Vinícius jnr took to his Twitter page to express his outrage, stating that racism has become a normal occurrence in La Liga and Spain.
The 22-year-old lamented that the championship, once graced by legends like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano, and Messi, is now tarnished by the presence of racists.
Vinícius emphasized that racism were not isolated occurrences but rather a persistent problem in La Liga, which is seemingly accepted by the competition, the federation, and even some rival clubs
“It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition considers it normal, the federation considers it normal and the rivals encourage it.
“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to the racists,” Vinícius Júnior wrote.
He expressed his disappointment that Spain, a nation he loves and appreciates, has come to be known in Brazil as a country with a racism issue.
Despite the challenges, Vinícius Jr vowed to remain resolute in the face of racism, promising to stand up against it regardless of his location.
“A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which accepted to export to the world the image of a racist country. I am sorry for those Spaniards who disagree but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.
“I am strong and I will go all the way against the racists. Even if it is far away from here,” the Brazil international added.
Ya que los que deberían no te explican qué es y qué puede hacer @LaLiga en los casos de racismo, hemos intentado explicártelo nosotros, pero no te has presentado a ninguna de las dos fechas acordadas que tú mismo solicitaste. Antes de criticar e injuriar a @LaLiga, es necesario… https://t.co/pLCIx1b6hS pic.twitter.com/eHvdd3vJcb
— Javier Tebas Medrano (@Tebasjavier) May 21, 2023
Real Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti also voiced his dismay on Twitter, condemning Valencia fans and calling for immediate action against racism both in football and society at large.
Ancelotti wrote: “Today has been a sad day at Mestalla, where a group of fans have shown their worst version. It is time to stop talking and act forcefully. Racism has no place in football or in society. NO TO RACISM ANYWHERE”.
Junior Vinícius also received support from his teammate and fellow Brazil international, Éder Militão, who condemned the incident as a disgrace and questioned how long such instances of racism must persist.
He wrote, “It’s a disgrace! To suffer racism, to defend yourself and then be sent off trying to defend yourself! How long do we have to put up with this?”
The president of the Brazilian football confederation, Ednaldo Rodrigues, also expressed solidarity with Vinícius and called for an end to racism, emphasizing that skin color should no longer be a source of discrimination.
“How long are we going to experience, in the middle of the 21st century, episodes like the one we just witnessed, once again, in La Liga? There is no joy where there is racism. Skin colour can no longer bother,” he said on Twitter.
In response to the incident, La Liga issued a statement pledging to investigate the matter thoroughly. They vowed to collect all available evidence and take appropriate legal action if any hate crimes were identified.
LaLiga reiterated their commitment to eradicating racism from the sport and society as a whole, echoing the sentiment expressed by Vinícius Jr, his teammates, and others who stand against racism.
This comes a few weeks after Italian football league, Serie A, was also accused of racism after crowning Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as “King of Napoli” ahead of Victor Osimhen.
