Three Fans Sentenced to Prison for Racially Abusing Vinicius Jr during Match
Three fans who racially abused Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a match in Valencia last year have each been sentenced to eight months in prison, LaLiga announced on Monday. This marks the first conviction for racist abuse at a football match in Spain.
The individuals have also been given a two-year stadium ban from any venue hosting LaLiga matches or games held under the jurisdiction of the Spanish football federation (RFEF). Valencia cooperated with the investigation and expelled the three people as members of the club.
During the hearing, a letter of apology to Vinicius from the defendants was read out. LaLiga president Javier Tebas praised the ruling, stating, “This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way to redressing the disgraceful wrong suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those individuals who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse.”
He also called for Spanish legislation to evolve to give LaLiga sanctioning powers to speed up the fight against racism. Currently, LaLiga can only bring the facts of a case to the relevant legal authorities and is unable to sanction clubs, fans, or players for hateful conduct, racism, or violent acts itself.
Real Madrid confirmed the convictions, stating, “Real Madrid, which has exercised together with Vinicius Junior the private prosecution in this procedure, will continue to work to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behaviour in the world of football and sport.”
