Three unidentified fans of the football club Valencia have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting the Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior. This is the first conviction for racism at a professional football game in Spain, and it came after a complaint filed by the Spanish league La Liga.
The defendants read a letter of apology during the hearing. The racist chants occurred on May 21 2023 during a La Liga game at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium. The racist chants had sparked wide support for Vinícius, who is Black, and galvanised a series of campaigns.
The fans were found guilty of a “crime against moral integrity” with “aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives”. The fans were also banned from entering any football stadium in which La Liga and/or Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) matches are played for a period of two years.
“The ruling handed down today, which is final, establishes as proven that the three defendants insulted Vinicius with shouts, gestures and chants referring to the colour of his skin,” the court said in a statement on Monday. “These shouts and gestures of a racist nature, consisting among other things in the repetition of the sounds and imitating the movements of monkeys, caused the footballer feelings of frustration, shame and humiliation, with the consequent undermining of his intrinsic dignity.”
The La Liga president Javier Tebas reacted to the ruling, terming it as a “clear message”. “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,” Tebas said in a statement.
The 23-year-old Vinicius helped Real Madrid win the LaLiga title and the Champions League last season. He was named the Champions League’s player of the season and is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player in October.
Sixteen incidents of racist abuse against Vinicius have been reported to Spanish prosecutors by LaLiga in the last two seasons. In March this year, Vinicius broke down in tears at a press conference and said he was struggling to stay motivated and enjoy playing football due to the continuing abuse, and urged the authorities to take action.
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