THREE Valencia fans have been sentenced to jail in a Spanish first for racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.
Racist chants were aimed at Vinicius during a LaLiga match at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium on May 21, 2023.
PAThree Valencia fans have been sentenced to jail for racially abusing Vinicius Jr[/caption]
The fans were found guilty of a “crime against moral integrity” with “aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives”.
An initial 12-month sentence was reduced to eight months after an agreement reached at the preliminary investigation stage.
The guilty fans have also banned from entering any football stadium in which La Liga and/or Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) matches are played for two years.
Brazil star Vinicius joined LaLiga, Real Madrid and RFEF in bringing the case to court.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said:, external “This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way to redressing the disgraceful wrong suffered by Vinicius 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.
“I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity.
“We at La Liga can only respect the pace of justice, but once again we demand that Spanish legislation evolve to give La Liga sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism.”
Real Madrid said in a statement: “The three accused have accepted their criminal responsibility and have made public a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid C.F. and other people who felt denigrated and offended by their behavior.
“This is the first conviction for acts of this nature handed down by criminal courts and tribunals.
“Real Madrid, which participated in this prosecution together with Vinícius Júnior, will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behavior in the world of football and sport.”