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Vinicius Junior triumphantly clenched his right hand and elevated it above his head while celebrating his goal at Mestalla Stadium, making sure to capture everyone’s attention.
In the beginning of March, the symbolic act occurred, almost 12 months after the soccer player from Real Madrid was seen on the same field with tears in his eyes due to experiencing racism from certain fans of Valencia.
The event caused a surge of backing for the Brazilian player – who is Black – and prompted widespread demands for intervention from Spanish officials and the public.
At that moment, numerous individuals viewed it as a pivotal moment in the battle against discrimination in Spanish football.
However, even after 10 months, Vinícius continues to face racist remarks in Spain, despite the initial uproar following the incident at Mestalla.
The lack of advancement will be acknowledged during Spain’s match against Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday. This friendly game was initially organized with the theme of “One Skin” in response to the racial discrimination directed towards Vinícius last year.
Esteban Ibarra, president of the Movement Against Intolerance, Racism and Xenophobia in Spain, stated that their progress has not been complete. While there has been some progress, it has not been a significant one. And if the sense of impunity continues to prevail, fans will continue to behave in the same manner as before.
The upcoming Spain-Brazil match is scheduled to occur shortly after Vinícius was the subject of a recent surge of racial and hate slurs during games in Spain.
During the night of March 2nd, while at Mestalla stadium, Vinícius made the Black Power salute. Media reports from Brazil stated that during the incident, a child in the stadium called the player a monkey. The Spanish league was investigating a video of the event, but it was unclear from the footage whether Vinícius was the intended target.
Over the weekend, Vinicius participated in a match for Brazil against England.
Recent news sources have revealed instances of discriminatory songs aimed at Vinícius near the arenas of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, despite these matches not involving Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Vinícius shared a video on Twitter featuring Atletico fans jumping and chanting “Vinícius chimpanzee.” There have also been reports of Barcelona fans yelling “Die, Vinícius” the day before.
“I trust that you have considered the repercussions for their actions,” stated Vinícius on X, which used to be known as Twitter, and mentioned both the Champions League and Uefa, the governing body for European soccer. “It’s disheartening that this type of conduct occurs even in matches that I am not a part of!”
On March 16, during Madrid’s Spanish league match against Osasuna, there were reports of hateful chants directed at Vinícius. Real Madrid criticized the referee for failing to mention the chants in the match report and deemed him negligent. The club also notified the prosecutor’s office about the chants, along with similar ones allegedly made by fans of Atletico and Barcelona, as potential hate crimes.
Spanish defender Alex Grimaldo stated on Sunday that it is our ongoing responsibility to combat racism and work towards preventing instances of intolerance, especially for players like Vinícius and others.
Several of Vinícius’ adversaries argue that his bold approach on the field, which is not unusual for a forward, along with his confrontations with the opposing team, have made him a prime target for fans. Vinícius frequently engages in verbal altercations and has been observed responding to fans’ taunts from the bleachers on multiple occasions.
There have been updates in the legal proceedings of fans who were accused of verbally attacking Vinícius last year. This includes four dedicated Atletico supporters who were accused of hanging a figure of the player from a bridge on a highway in Madrid.
They were detained during the mass arrests following the incident involving Vinícius at Mestalla. The prosecutors have requested four years of imprisonment for them.
After enduring mistreatment at Valencia the previous season, Vinicius is now facing a tough time in Madrid.
The player who was in a front position left after being targeted repeatedly during the match.
The courts are handling other situations involving fans who have reportedly insulted Vinícius and other players. However, the first trial for an accused fan of racial abuse in professional soccer in Spain is still pending. The trial for an Espanyol fan charged with racially insulting Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams was originally scheduled for last year but has not yet occurred.
A person allegedly referred to Vinícius as a monkey during a league match in Mallorca last season, and there was a chance they would face trial. The fan and Vinícius appeared before a judge last year, and Vinícius stated that he would not be satisfied with just an apology.
The Spanish government has highlighted the work of a permanent committee set up to fight violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sports. The committee, which includes the Spanish league, authorities and the soccer federation, has previously punished clubs with fines and issued stadium bans, as well as keeping fans from attending matches for long periods and making them pay hefty fines.
The Spanish soccer league has taken action in reporting cases of racism to authorities.
The president of the league, Javier Tebas, stated that the efforts to combat racism in LaLiga have become more noticeable since the incident involving Vinicius, but that strong efforts have been in place for a long time.
“The objective of eliminating this problem goes beyond just implementing strategies or taking actions. However, I can assure you that LaLiga and the clubs place the utmost importance on combating racism and any forms of hate, both within and outside of our stadiums,” expressed Tebas in an email to The Associated Press.
The speaker stated that society, and especially fans of football, are becoming more aware that intolerant attitudes are completely unacceptable, considered a crime, and have no place in our community. It is important to constantly strive towards eliminating all forms of hatred, both within and outside of stadiums. Despite being a small portion of the population, these actions reflect negatively on the competition, the sport, and the country as a whole, and cause irreversible harm to those targeted.
Javier Tebas insists LaLiga are fighting racism but has also been criticised himself for not doing enough
According to Ibarra, the repeated occurrences of hate crimes in soccer may be attributed to the diehard fans of certain clubs who typically feel exempt from the law.
According to Ibarra, ultra groups are highly dedicated militants and unless they are eliminated, the issue will persist.
According to Rafael Carlos de Vega, a prosecutor from Spain’s Attorney General’s Office, the lack of consequences for extreme supporters often occurs due to challenges in identifying the individuals responsible for their actions within larger crowds, leading some cases to be closed without resolution.
Vega stated that there has been an improvement since the incident with Vinícius at Mestalla. This is due to the increased involvement of prosecutors who specialize in addressing hate crimes.
According to him, incidents of racist insults have decreased compared to before, with some exemptions. People have become more aware that actions motivated by race or skin color will face consequences. It is important for society to have awareness and take action against those who commit such acts. Punishment should be given to those responsible when incidents do occur.
Associated Press
Source: independent.co.uk
