New Delhi: Vinicius Jr said he and his Real Madrid teammates would walk off the pitch if he faced more racist abuse from fans in La Liga season. The fans have abused the 24-year-old around 16 times. Vinicius earlier this year even broke down in tears in a press conference while talking about the abuse he has encountered, saying he felt less and less like playing football.
The Brazilian has been targeted by opposition supporters on multiple occasions, including Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium in 2023. The incident saw three fans getting behind bars earlier this year for eight months in what La Liga said was the first guilty verdict of its kind in Spain.
However, the 24-year-old striker has suffered racist abuse at Barcelona, Mallorca, Real Valladolid, Pamplona, Sevilla and around Madrid’s rivals Atletico Madrid.
In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Vinicius said, “We do need to leave the field so things can change as soon as possible.” He even stated that he and his teammates would act differently if faced with a similar situation like Valencia when the game was temporarily suspended after he identified the fans who abused him in the crowd.
Furthermore, he added, “In the club, we talk about it more often, Not just me, but all [the] players said that if that happens, the next time everyone has to leave the field so that all of those people who insulted us have to pay a much bigger penalty”.
La Liga, this time, passed on the evidence of racist abuse to local hate crime prosecutors and decided not to press charges. The League has also called on the Spanish government to change the law so that the perpetrators can be punished directly.
Vinicius Junior even said, “Today, I already see and feel the difference in Spain. Today — maybe [some fans] are still racists — but nowadays they are afraid to express themselves in the football field and in places where there are a lot of cameras.”
He further adds “I’m already happy that I’m being able to change Spain’s mindset.” Vinicius Jr even shows confidence in the league and sports and hopes that little by little we all can work towards reducing it as it is not possible to end it completely.
The Brazil international Vinicius Junior is to take a zero-tolerance approach to racist abuse. Check out the action he will take along with his teammates if they encounter racism again this season. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
