Spanish soccer has a racism problem, according to the country’s football federation chief Luis Rubiales, echoing Brazil’s criticism after Real Madrid filed a race crime complaint after insults were hurled at their Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr.
The very best After the Brazilian president, FIFA, and fellow sporting stars such as France forward Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand, and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton expressed support for Vinicius, LaLiga is under pressure to do more to combat racism.
Vinicius Jr. called racist abuse “inhuman” in a social media post and asked sponsors and broadcasters to hold LaLiga accountable.
“What is missing for these people to be criminalized?” And punish the clubs athletically? Why are the sponsors not charging La Liga? “Why don’t the televisions show this heinousness every weekend?” Vinicius explained.
The statement came a day after the match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium was halted for 10 minutes after the 22-year-old Brazilian striker pointed out fans who he claimed were making racist remarks toward him.
“The situation is critical, and press releases are no longer effective.” “Blaming me does not justify criminal acts,” he added.
Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro’s iconic landmark, turned off its lights on Monday night in solidarity with the Real Madrid forward.
Vinicius, Real Madrid’s second-highest scorer in all competitions this season (23) behind Karim Benzema (29), previously described Spain as a “country of racists” following the match against Valencia on Sunday.
LaLiga President Javier Tebas responded on Twitter, saying that enough was being done and that Vinicius should educate himself “before you criticize and slander LaLiga.”
1. Neither Spain nor @LaLiga is racist, it is unfair to say this.
2. At @LaLiga we report and go after racism in the strongest possible way within our remit.
3. We have reported nine instances of racist insults this season (eight have been against @vinijr). We always identify… https://t.co/KFXHOJv6cb
— Javier Tebas Medrano (@Tebasjavier) May 22, 2023
“The first step is to acknowledge that we have a problem in our country,” Rubiales said Monday at a press conference in Madrid. It is “a serious problem that stains an entire team, fan base, club, and country.”
The Brazilian government summoned the Spanish ambassador on Monday to explain the incident, and its foreign ministry said in a statement that after “yet another inadmissible episode,” it had concluded that the Spanish authorities had not taken effective measures to prevent such racist acts.
On Twitter, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that “there is zero tolerance for racism in football.”
“Tolerance and respect are fundamental values in sport.” Hatred and xenophobia have no place in football or in society,” Sanchez added.
Spain’s Sports Council previously stated in a statement that it would examine game footage to identify any perpetrators for prosecution.
Hundreds of Valencia fans sang “Vinicius is a monkey” as the Real Madrid bus arrived at the stadium before the game, according to videos posted on social media and verified by Reuters.
“I am sorry for those Spaniards who disagree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists,” Vinicius Jr said on Twitter.
Tebas’ comments, according to Rubiales, were “irresponsible.”
“Probably Vinicius is righter than we think, and we all need to do more about racism,” Rubiales said.
MULTIPLE INCIDENTS
According to LaLiga, Real Madrid filed a hate crime complaint on Monday in response to the incident, which was the 10th instance of alleged racism involving the young soccer star reported to prosecutors this season.
Valencia FC said in a statement that it had identified one fan and was working with police to confirm the identities of others who could face penalties such as lifetime stadium bans.
After a mannequin wearing his number 20 shirt was hung from a bridge outside Real Madrid’s training ground in January ahead of the club’s derby match with Atletico Madrid, Spanish police are still investigating a possible hate crime against Vinicius Jr.
Prosecutors dropped a complaint filed in September for racist chants directed at the player during another game against Atletico Madrid.
The prosecutor archived the case because the “monkey” chants were only heard a few times and “only lasted a few seconds,” highlighting how Spain’s penal code makes it difficult to prosecute racist incidents at football games.
“LaLiga uses these legal cases to wash its hands, despite the fact that it has the authority to make decisions and impose sanctions on its own,” said Moha Gerehou, a Spanish journalist and anti-racism activist.
“In these cases, LaLiga should be able to close stadiums and force a number of matches to be played behind closed doors, as this puts pressure on the clubs and the fans themselves.”
According to the Interior Ministry, three cases of racist acts were officially investigated by Spanish prosecutors during the 2021-22 season. People found guilty of racist behavior can be fined up to 4,000 euros ($4,403) and banned from stadiums for a year under current rules.
There is growing pressure on Spain to do more to address the issue. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has urged FIFA and La Liga to “take immediate action.”
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One world champion, gave Vinicius a virtual fist bump on Instagram, adding, “Standing with you @vinjr.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has urged LaLiga to implement a rule that penalizes clubs with point deductions if racist chants continue. Racists should be barred from stadiums worldwide for life, he added. Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez demanded similar drastic measures, saying, “You have to stop the match… One insult and everyone goes home.”
