Fans Who Hurled Racist Insults at Soccer Star Hit With First-of-its-Kind Conviction
It's quite a shocking sentence.
Brazilian soccer star Vinícius Júnior has been an invaluable asset to Real Madrid since joining the Spanish team in 2018. But Júnior has been having a rough time across the Atlantic dealing with racism from spectators in the crowd. Now, three of those who taunted him with racist insults have learned their fate in a first-of-its-kind ruling.
Back in May 2023, Real Madrid was playing a match against Valencia CF when fans began shouting racist remarks at him, resulting in officials temporarily halting the game. After the incident, Júnior took to social media to point out just how common instances like this are. "It wasn’t the first time, nor the second time, nor the third,” he wrote on X at the time. "Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, the [Royal Spanish Football] Federation does too, and the opponents encourage it."
The racist abuse has continued to build over the past year. In March of this year, he broke down in tears and confessed he was falling out of love with the sport. "It's something very sad what I have been going through here," Júnior lamented, per NBC News. "It's tough. I've been fighting against this for a long time. It's exhausting because you feel like you are alone. I've made so many official complaints but no one is ever punished."
On June 10, Spanish authorities brought down the hammer on the three fans from last year's incident. Each of the men will have to serve eight months in prison and won't be allowed to enter soccer stadiums for two years; they're also responsible for paying for all of the court proceedings. They initially pled guilty to a crime against moral integrity.
It's the first time anyone has ever gone to trial in Spain for racially insulting a player. Many similar cases have come before the courts in the past, but prosecutors declined to move forward with charges.
Following the news of the sentencing, Júnior celebrated the victory as a step toward progress.
"Many asked me to ignore it, many others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just 'play football.' But, as I've always said, I'm not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists," he declared. "This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain [soccer] 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 collect," he concluded. "Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction."
Muitos pediram para que eu ignorasse, outros tantos disseram que minha luta era em vão e que eu deveria apenas "jogar futebol".
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) June 10, 2024
Mas, como sempre disse, não sou vítima de racismo. Eu sou algoz de racistas. Essa primeira condenação penal da história da Espanha não é por mim. É por… https://t.co/NdezpJBjF2
Júnior and the rest of Real Madrid return to the pitch to take on AC Milan on July 31.