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June 10, 2024
Vinicius Jr., after three supporters were imprisoned: “This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It’s for all black people. May other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I’ll be here to hold them accountable.”
After three Valencia fans were each given eight months in prison for assaulting Vinicius Jr. during a game last year, the player declared that racists should be “afraid”.
The Real Madrid forward applauded the decision to sentence the guilty parties to prison terms since they are the first convictions related to racial abuse in Spanish football.
“The first criminal conviction in Spain’s history isn’t for me, but it’s for all black people,” the Brazilian posted on the social media platform X.”
“May other racists feel scared, ashamed, and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I’ll be here to hold them accountable. Thank you to LaLiga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction. More to come…”
The mistreatment that resulted in the punishment from a Valencia court happened on May 21, 2018, during a league game at the city’s Mestalla stadium. The criminal case was started by the initial complaint filed by LaLiga.
Additionally, the individuals received two-year stadium bans from any location hosting La Liga games or matches overseen by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
According to La Liga, Valencia reportedly helped with the investigation and kicked the three individuals out of the club.
LaLiga and Real confirmed that the defendants read a letter of apology to Vinicius during the hearing.
“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,” LaLiga president Javier Tebas said.
“LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences.”
“I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity.:
“We at LaLiga can only respect the pace of justice, but once again, we demand that Spanish legislation evolves to give LaLiga sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism.”
At the moment, La Liga is unable to punish teams, supporters, or players for acts of violence, racism, or hate speech. Instead, it can only present the facts of the case to the appropriate legal authorities.
Real Madrid verified the convictions in a statement that concluded: “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 behavior in the world of football and sport.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the sentences as a “positive step” in the effort to eradicate racism from football.
“It is a positive step that the Spanish authorities took firm action and sentenced Vinicius Jr. for racist abuse during a Spanish La Liga match in May 2023,” the writer posted on Instagram Stories.
“As I reiterated clearly at the recent FIFA Congress in Bangkok, we can no longer accept what is happening in stadiums and on the pitch.
“Our message to people anywhere in the world who still behave in a racist way when they are dealing with football is clear: we don’t want you. These people have to be excluded, they are not part of our community and not part of football.”
“This ruling showcases one of FIFA’s five pillars of action: criminal charges. We, together united as global football, will push for recognition of racism as a criminal offense in every country in the world and, as seen today in Spain, where there is already an offense, will push for prosecution with the severity it deserves.”
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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