It’s a testament to the state of fútbol as an institution that once again Brazilian player Vinícius Júnior is facing racial abuse.
On Tuesday (February 18) Viní Jr. reported Argentinian player Gianluca Prestianni for allegedly calling him “monkey” during a Champions League game where Prestianni’s team, Benfica, faced off against Viní’s Real Madrid. What followed was the game being paused for 10 minutes and a tidal wave of hate coming Viní’s way instead of the alleged aggresors. And this isn’t the first, or even tenth time Viní has faced such racial abuse while playing fútbol.
In fact, racism incidents are so common that FIFA has now set up an anti-racism protocol that allows referees to stop matches after alleged incidents, and that makes racism a specific offense with its own specific and severe sanctions. The problem is, of course, that a player like Prestianni can just cover their mouth as they spew the alleged racial abuse. And since the camera didn’t catch it, he will likely not be punished for it, despite the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) opening an official investigation into the allegations.
That is just the tip of the iceberg, though.
After the game ended, the conversation was very much about the incident, with some, including Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, implying that the racism was Viní’s problem. “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. A stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always,” he said.
Obviously, the reason why Viní continues receiving racial abuse and harrassment is because of the color of his skin in an institution that doesn’t punish such vile behavior, subsequently enabling continued bad behavior. But Mourinho’s comments, which focused on Viní ’s goal celebration that preceded the incident, seemed to imply that he had provoked his player into saying something—even while denying the slur had even been used.
“I told him [Viní ]: ‘When you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back.’,” Mourinho also said. Because for him, the problem isn’t what Prestianni might have said. It’s that Viní didn’t adhere to vague standards of conduct that only seem to be applied to players like Viní. And when you don’t, and you are Viní, it’s almost like you’re “asking for it.”
Viní has faced many instances of racism.
Some reports put the number of incidents he’s been directly involved in at least 20, with fans—and even TV pundits—calling him “monkey” and going as far as throwing banana peels at him. But he’s far from the only one. After the Euro 2020 loss by England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka, all of whom missed penalties in the shootout, were racially abused to such a degree that over ten people were arrested, and even entertainers like Jason Sudeikis felt the need to wear merchandise in support of the players during the Ted Lasso Season 2 premiere.
In fact, back in 2006, Cameroon player Samuel Eto’o faced racial abuse to such an extent during a game between Barcelona and Real Zaragoza that he had to be convinced to continue playing. That was twenty years ago.
Other big-name players in the Spanish League have spoken up about receiving racial abuse recently, including Brazilian Raphina and Spaniard Lamine Yamal. In fact, a report by the Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia showed that Yamal and Vinícius Júnior were the two players most racially targeted in the league, with reported instances of racial abuse against players like Iñaki Williams, Nico Williams, Kylian Mbappé, Alejandro Balde, Brahim Díaz, Raphinha, and Ansu Fati also recorded.
And yet, we mostly hear about Viní facing racial abuse becuase he’s the one most publicly and consistently calling it out.
After the Benfica-Real Madrid clash, Viní’s teammate Mbappé was clear on what he thought about the whole situation. “I will tell you the full story of what happened,” he told reporters after the game. “Vinícius scored, and what a goal. He celebrated. Then the fans booed. These things happen, they happen, and they will happen in football.”
He went on to add, “There was player No 25 (Prestianni) from Benfica – I don’t want to mention his name, he doesn’t deserve it – who started speaking rudely and saying insults. That’s also unacceptable, but it happens in football, and it will always happen.
“Then he put his shirt down here and said ‘monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey, monkey’. I heard him say it, and some Benfica players heard him too, and then everything you saw started.”
By everything you saw, he means the game was stopped for at least 10 minutes. The referee checked the cameras. Since Prestianni had raised his shirt to cover his mouth, there was no proof. The game went on.
After the game, Viní said the anti-racism protocol serves “no purpose.”
“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to show how weak they are. […] I don’t like appearing in situations like this, especially after a great victory when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary,” he also said.
He is sadly right. It is necessary. And it will continue to be necessary while protocols are in place only to help the institutions look like they care, without actually demanding the changes that prove that they do. While accountability is being thwarted by a team and a coach who are more interested in protecting their player than entertaining the possibility that he might have done something wrong. While the EPL has 43% Black players but only 4% Black managers. While most of the staff and executives in all the top leagues are anything but diverse.
Because the anti-racism protocol hasn’t changed the sport. It’s only put the spotlight on the victims who “complain” or who rightfully call out players for the racial abuse they spew. And it’s made players like Viní more likely to be the ones who face even more hate without any real protections from an institution that’s supposed to have their back.
What we need now is solutions. Whether that is making it so every time a player covers their mouth to say something, they’re booked, or upping the number of recording devices on the field so there’s a way to trace everything that’s being said. But UEFA cannot take too long to figure this out. Because racism won’t stop. And Vinícius Júnior will not sit quiet. He never has. That’s why people hate him. But it’s also why so many people admire him, outside of how good he is on the field.