A court in Valencia has sentenced three men to eight months in prison for making racist remarks and gestures toward Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. during a La Liga match against Valencia CF at the Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. This historic ruling marks the first conviction of its kind in Spain.
In addition to the prison sentences, the convicted men received two-year bans from attending any Spanish soccer matches and were ordered to pay the court costs associated with the case. Their original 12-month sentences and three-year bans were reduced after they admitted their criminal actions, expressed remorse, and apologized to Vinícius Jr., Real Madrid, and La Liga.
“This is the first conviction of its kind to be handed down in Spain, following a case brought before the courts by LaLiga, which was joined by the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation), Real Madrid and, in recent weeks, the victim himself, Vinícius Jr.,” La Liga stated.
Vinícius Jr. addressed the conviction in a social media post: “Many asked me to ignore it, many others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just ‘play football.’ But as I’ve always said I’m not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It’s for all Black people. May other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I’ll be here to get you. Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction.”
The Brazilian forward, who first publicly spoke about his experience with racism in 2022, pledged to continue using his platform to combat racism. “The fight against racism must continue, and I will keep using my voice to call out injustice,” he added.
Real Madrid acknowledged the defendants’ apology in a statement: “The three defendants acknowledged their criminal liability and have released an apology letter addressed to our player Vinícius Jr., to Real Madrid C.F. and to everyone else who felt offended and degraded by their behavior. They expressed their remorse and called for an end to all forms of racism and intolerance in sports.”
Suspended sentences are common in Spain for non-violent first-time offenses with prison terms under two years, and the judge will decide on the defendants’ request for suspension at a later date.
La Liga President Javier Tebas hailed the ruling as a significant step forward in addressing racism in football. “This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain, as it redresses the wrong suffered by Vinícius Jr. and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. La Liga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them,” Tebas said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino also praised the firm action taken by Spanish authorities.
“I am pleased to see the firm action and sentencing taken by the Spanish authorities in relation to the racist abuse directed at Vinícius Jr. in a Spanish La Liga match in May 2023. This is a positive step. Our message to people anywhere in the world who still behave in a racist way when they are dealing with football is clear: we don’t want you. These people have to be excluded, they are not part of our community and not part of football,” He said.
