Vinicius Junior stays at Real Madrid and fights racism to the end for ‘future generations’.
Vinicius has been the victim of racism again. He was taunted by the opposing crowd during the match between Real Madrid and Valencia on February 22. It wasn’t just a chant, but a racist insult.
He was literally stared down by the opposing team. Vinicius had to endure the “unsportsmanlike conduct” of the Valencia players and the “hateful jeers” of their supporters. The rarely-excited Vinicius got into direct confrontations with opposing fans and was reduced to tears.메이저사이트
He was also the victim of biased officiating. He punched Hugo Duro in the face during an altercation in second-half stoppage time and was shown a red card after video assistant referee (VAR) review. However, the decision was controversial as the VAR did not show a Valencia player choking Vinicius in an earlier incident. The VAR and six other referees were stripped of their officiating duties by the Royal Spanish Football Association.
Vinicius was furious after the game. “It’s not the first time, it’s not the second time, it’s not the third time. Racism is a common behavior in La Liga. The league that once hosted Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is today a hotbed of racism.”
“Spain is a beautiful and welcoming country that I love. But it has been complicit in spreading images of racism around the world. Today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. I agree. But I am strong and I will fight against racism until the end,” he said, adding that he will fight against La Liga’s failure to respond to the racism he has experienced on numerous occasions.
Both clubs expressed their support for Vinicius. In an official statement, Real said: “The club strongly condemns the incident against Vinicius. We believe it constitutes a hate crime and have submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, specifically for crimes of hatred and discrimination, to investigate the facts and hold those involved accountable.”
Valencia also said: “The club, in cooperation with the police, has identified the fan who made the racist gesture towards Vinicius and is working to identify those involved. The club will apply disciplinary measures, including banning them from the stadium for life,” and announced that it would take strong action.
La Liga president Javier Tebas responded to Vinicius with a rather “scathing” statement. “We tried to explain the racism directly to you (Vinicius), but you didn’t show up on the two dates we requested,” he wrote on social media. It was a classic case of deflecting blame from the victim.
Vinicius responded further. On March 23, Vinicius posted a video on social media showing the racism he’s faced so far. The video shows the six times he was racially abused on the field this season, as well as the time in January when a mannequin hung a noose from his leg. And that wasn’t even the worst of it.
“These are not isolated incidents, they are episodes spread across several cities in Spain,” Vinicius wrote alongside the video. How many of these racists have their names and pictures on websites? I can easily answer that. You (Tebas) are not about football, you are about inhumanity,” he said, strongly criticizing La Liga’s behavior.
Outside of La Liga, solidarity with Vinicius was also expressed. FIFA President Gianni Infantino tweeted, “This is madness. I want to make it clear that there is no place for any form of discrimination, including racism, in soccer and in society,” he said, offering five ways to prevent racism from happening.
The Brazilian government is also exploring ways to punish Valencia supporters who racially abused Vinicius under Brazilian law, saying, “We are looking at the possibility of applying the principle of extraterritoriality.” They also showed their support for Vinicius by turning off the lights on a giant statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro.
Vinicius thanked them. He posted the photo and wrote: “Black and majestic. This is what Christ the Redeemer was like. An act of solidarity that touches me,” and thanked the Brazilian government for its proactive actions.
He also announced a new commitment. “Above all, I want to inspire and give more light to our struggle. I am so grateful for all the love and support I have received in the last few months. I will not give up. I have a purpose in life and if I have to suffer so that future generations don’t have to go through similar situations, I’m ready to endure it,” he said, revealing that he will fight racism to the end.
Real aren’t leaving either. Fabrizio Romano, a journalist familiar with the European soccer transfer market, said on March 23: “Vinicius has no intention of leaving Real. Real have signed a new contract until June 2027.” Coach Carlo Ancelotti also said, “Vinicius has no intention of leaving. He loves Real,” said Carlo Ancelotti.
Instead of running away from injustice, Vinicius chose to fight it. This is reminiscent of the days of old, when Vinicius used his soccer skills to prove why he deserved to stay at Real. Now he’s trying to prove he was right about racism, too.