Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr has said he is a “torment for racists” after three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for harassing him at a match.
According to the criteria of
Fans chanted racist chants against Vinicius Jr during a La Liga match at the Mestalla Stadium in Valenciaon May 21, 2023.
They were later found guilty of a “crime against moral integrity” with “aggravating circumstance of discrimination on racist grounds“.
“I am not a victim of racism. I am the torment of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It is for all black people,” the player posted on his account on X.
“Let other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I will be here to collect. Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping us with this historic conviction,” he added.
It is the first time that it is dictated a conviction for racism at a football match in Spain and it was a direct consequence of a complaint filed by La Liga.
Vinicius Jr has joined La Liga, Real Madrid and the Spanish Football Federation in taking the case to court.
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Punishment for racism
The initial sentence of 12 months was reduced by a third following an agreement reached at the preliminary investigation phase.
Fans were also prohibited from entering any football stadium where La Liga or La Liga matches are held. Spanish Football Federation for three years, a period that was later reduced to two.
The Brazilian player Vinicius Jr joined La Liga, Real Madrid and the Spanish Football Federation to take the case to court. The defendants read out a letter of apology during the hearing.
“This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain“, since in some way it repairs the shameful grievance suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl insults,” said the president of La Liga, Javier Tebas.
“The League will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences,” he said.
“I understand that there may be some frustration about the time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity,” Tebas added.
“We at La Liga can only respect the pace of justice, but we once again demand that Spanish legislation evolves to give La Liga sanctioning powers that can accelerate the fight against racism.”
Real Madrid stated that it “will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behaviour in the world of football and sport”.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantinopraised the sentences as a “positive step” and “firm action.”
“Our message to people anywhere in the world who still behave in a racist way when dealing with football is clear: we don’t want you,” Infantino said in an Instagram story.
“These people have to be excluded, they are not part of our community or part of football.”
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