On Sunday, May 21, Real Madrid fell to Valencia in a La Liga match, 1-0. Vinicius Jr., a forward for Brazil and Real Madrid, made headlines after the game when he attacked La Liga and even called Spain racist after hearing racial remarks from the crowd at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium. The player from Brazil criticized the well-known Spanish league in a lengthy tweet, writing that “racism is normal in La Liga.” “It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition considers it normal, the federation considers it normal and the rivals encourage it,” Vinicius posted on Twitter after the game.
In response to Vinicius’ allegations, La Liga stated that it will seek out all available pictures in order to fully investigate the situation. It declared in a statement that “if any hate crime is identified, we will take the appropriate legal action.” Vinicius, 22, was urged to learn more about what may be done in similar situations by La Liga President Javier Tebas.
Tebas wrote on Twitter, “Since those who should explain to you what it is and what La Liga can do in cases of racism, we have tried to explain it ourselves, but you have not shown up for either of the two agreed dates that you requested yourself,” he said on Twitter. He added, “Before you criticize and slander La Liga you need to inform yourself properly @Vinijr. Don’t let yourself be manipulated and make sure you understand each other’s competencies and the work we have been doing together.”
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also took note of Vinicius’ allegations and joined in to express his support for the player
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also took note of Vinicius’ allegations and joined in to express his support for the player, calling for an end to racism in the sport altogether. In a press conference, he said, “I would like to express my solidarity with our Brazilian player, a poor boy who succeeded in life and is potentially becoming one of the best players in the world, certainly the best at Real Madrid. And he is attacked in every stadium he plays in. I think it is important that FIFA, the Spanish league, and leagues in other countries take real action because we cannot allow fascism and racism to dominate football stadiums. (https://whatthefab.com/) ”
It will be fascinating to watch what steps are made to address the racism issue in the Spanish league. Real Madrid, which lost to Valencia 1-0, saw Diego Lopez score the game’s only goal in the 33rd minute. Real struggled to match scoring and never appeared to be at their best. Before engaging in a physical conflict with the Valencia player, Vinicius Jr. complained about the racial abuse he had experienced before the face-off, which caused the proceedings to be suspended for 10 minutes. As a result, he received a send-off during the game’s second half.
