Spain continues to crack down on racial abuse in sports, or at least attempt to. An unidentified man has been found guilty of racially abusing Brazilian superstar Vinicius Júnior during a Real Madrid game in Palma de Mallorca last February. The man has been given a suspended prison sentence and banned from fútbol stadiums for three years.
“The defendant has been found guilty of two offenses of infringing on moral integrity, aggravated by having racist motives, committed against Vinicius Júnior, and also against the footballer Samu Chukwueze, a Villarreal player at that time, who was subjected to similar abuse at the Son Moix Stadium by the same individual two weeks later,” Real Madrid announced in a statement.
During the game, Mallorca supporters could be heard directing racist insults at Vinicius Júnior. The player, who has suffered multiple instances of racial abuse during his time playing in Spain, has spoken about what it feels to be on the receiving end of racism before, saying: “I just want to play, I just want to do everything for my club, my family.”
But the racism takes a toll. “I feel less and less like playing,” Vinicius Júnior said during a press conference earlier this year, adding: “It never crossed my mind [to leave Spain] because if I leave Spain, I give the racists exactly what they want.”
“This is the third criminal conviction handed down in recent months for racist insults received by Real Madrid players,” the Real Madrid statement also said. “Real Madrid will keep working to protect the club’s values and eradicate any racist behaviour in the world of football and sport.”