~Ola Williams
Three Valencia fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, marking the first conviction related to racist abuse at a football match in Spain, according to La Liga.
The incident occurred during a match in May last year when several Valencia fans directed racist slurs at the Brazilian footballer. The game was halted for several minutes as Vinícius pointed out a Valencia fan in the stands, alleging the fan had called him a monkey and mimicked ape gestures.
Images of a tearful Vinícius on the Valencia pitch quickly spread worldwide, highlighting Spanish football’s persistent struggle with racism. While Valencia banned the offending fans from the stadium, Vinícius pledged to continue his fight against racism, stating, “I will go up against the racists until the very end.”
In addition to their prison sentences, the individuals received a two-year ban from attending any venue hosting La Liga matches or games under the Spanish football federation’s jurisdiction.
La Liga noted that Valencia cooperated with the investigation and expelled the three individuals from club membership. During the hearing, a letter of apology to Vinícius from the defendants was also read out.
La Liga president Javier Tebas commented, “This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way to redressing the disgraceful wrong suffered by Vinícius Jr and sends a clear message to those individuals who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. La Liga will identify them, report them, and there will be criminal consequences.”
