Vinicius Junior Racism: The Spanish government has sanctioned seven people for making racist remarks against the Real Madrid star.
Four men were fined £51,700 and prohibited from attending athletic events for two years. It occurred after setting up a poster and an inflatable black phantom clad in a copy of Vinicius’ No. 20 shirt on a bridge.
Three other people were fined £4,300 for making discriminatory gestures against a Brazil international.
Spain’s State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance in Sport has sanctioned seven persons for racist assaults against Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr, the country’s Sports Commission announced on Monday.
Four men were fined €60,000 (£51,700) and barred from sporting venues for two years after hanging a banner reading “Madrid hates Real” and an inflatable black effigy dressed in a replica of Vinicius’ No 20 shirt on a bridge near Real’s facilities on January 26 before the team’s Cup match against Atletico Madrid.
Three others were fined €5,000 (£4,300) and barred from sporting grounds for a year for making racist gestures against the Brazil international during a LaLiga match at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium on May 21.
The punishments were imposed 11 days after the four men were arrested on suspicion of hanging the effigy and released on bail by a Madrid court.
Vinicius Jr has been in the limelight in recent weeks after declaring LaLiga and Spain racist in response to insults he received during Real Madrid’s match against Valencia.
Since then, the athletic world has rallied around the 22-year-old, and the Brazilian government has called for harsh punishment for those involved for the racial remarks.
As part of an anti-racism campaign, Brazil will play friendlies against Guinea on June 17 and Senegal three days later.
Vinicius Junior Racism Story: Spanish FA reduces Valencia fine
Following an appeal for racial abuse of Vinicius by supporters, Valencia had their partial stadium closure lowered to three matches and their punishment decreased to €27,000 (£23,500) earlier this month.
The appeals committee of the Spanish Football Federation announced it had chosen to “partially uphold” Valencia’s appeal.
The Mestalla Stadium’s partial closure is reduced from five to four matches, with an initial €45,000 punishment reduced by €18,000.
Vinicius threatened to leave the field during the second half of Real Madrid’s LaLiga match against Valencia on Sunday. That happened after Vini Jr allegedly heard racist chanting from the crowd. This prompted Madrid to lodge a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office.
Valencia had ten business days to submit an appeal with the appeals committee. After the game on Sunday, LaLiga players and officials encouraged Spain to confront racism.
Before the games on Tuesday night between Real Valladolid and Barcelona, and Celta Vigo and Girona, players from both teams, as well as match officials, stood behind banners that read “Racism, out of football.”
Vinicius was scheduled to serve a two or three-match ban after getting sent off at Valencia. But Spain’s competition committee – a group made up of one LaLiga member, one from the Spanish Sports Council (CSD), and one from the RFEF (Spanish FA) – has overturned that red card.
