Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty / Vinicius Jr
LaLiga has a racism problem, according to Real Madrid’s Vincicius Jr.
Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty / Vinicius Jr
Spotted on Reuters, Real Madrid forward Vincicius Jr called out LaLiga and Spain after fans in the crowd spewed racial slurs at him during Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Valencia.
There was a 10-minute stoppage in play after Vincicius Jr pointed to fans in the crowd who were saying racist slurs to him, eventually leading to an altercation with Valencia’s players leading to him getting a red card and being sent off.
Reuters reports that he spoke on the matter following the game on Instagram. “It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga. The competition considers it normal, the federation considers it normal, and the rivals encourage it,” he tweeted.
“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi today belongs to the racists.
“A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which accepted to export to the world the image of a racist country. I am sorry for those Spaniards who disagree but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.
“I am strong and I will go all the way against the racists. Even if it is far away from here,” he continued.
ESPN reports Madrid has filed a complaint with Spanish hate crime prosecutors. “Spain has a problem with racism,” the head of the national football federation RFEF Luis Rubiales, said on Monday and is demanding “sanctions and punishment” for the fans involved.
“Real Madrid expresses its outright rejection and condemns the events that occurred yesterday involving our player Vinícius Junior,” the team said in a statement on Monday. “These events constitute a direct attack on the coexistence model of our social and democratic state of law.”
“Real Madrid considers that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, and therefore it has filed the relevant complaint with the state prosecutor’s office, specifically the prosecutor’s office against hate crimes and discrimination, so that the facts can be investigated and responsibilities determined,” the statement continued.
Sources close to the situation told the sport’s network that Vinicius Jr is considering leaving Real Madrid due the racism he is enduring and is “at the limit.”
This isn’t the first time a Black professional soccer player has complained about racism endured while on the pitch, and it sadly won’t be the last.
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Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr Calls Out LaLiga & Spain After Receiving Racist Chants was originally published on cassiuslife.com