Real Madrid considers these “attacks a hate crime” and has asked that “responsibilities be cleared up”
The Valencia Prosecutor’s Office has officially opened an investigation to determine whether the racist insults made to Vinícius during the soccer match played on Sunday at the Mestalla stadium between Valencia and Real Madrid constitute a hate crime, as reported by the Ministry Fiscal.
This same Monday, Real Madrid has denounced the case before the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE). The Association of Spanish Soccer Players (AFE) and the Movement against Intolerance (MCI) have also announced a complaint before the same headquarters. However, tax sources consulted by Europa Press indicate that there is still no record of all these complaints.
The events took place on Sunday night when shouts of “monkey” were heard from the stands of the Mestalla directed at the Real Madrid striker. Vini Jr. refused to play, while the referee De Burgos Bengoetxea initiated the protocol against racism and a warning was issued over the public address system. However, the match continued and Vinícius was sent off shortly after in an action with Hugo Duro.
The white club has shown its strongest rejection and condemnation of the events that took place on Sunday against the Brazilian player. “These events constitute a direct attack on the coexistence model of our social and democratic state of law,” the club said in a statement.
In it, the team has announced that “such attacks also constitute a hate crime”, which has led them to ask the FGE to “investigate the facts and determine responsibilities”.
For its part, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has declared itself “dismayed” and has urged that “more forceful measures” be adopted in allusion to racist chants. In a statement, the RFEF has indicated that these attitudes ” must be eradicated” and has urged that the protocols be activated “urgently” so that the “most forceful measures are adopted immediately”.
“Both the committee and the State Commission against violence and xenophobia and racism in sport should take action on the matter, even closing the stands every time this happens and stadiums when it is due to recidivism,” he said.
In this sense, the body has asked the clubs to collaborate in the “immediate eradication of these unfortunate events, respecting the rules and sporting sanctions and not delaying them with artificial judicial resources.”
The Real Madrid forward made a strong criticism of LaLiga and the Spanish soccer fan this Sunday for “normal racism” in the competition, after the incidents with Mestalla.
“It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga. The competition believes that it is normal, the Federation also and the opponents encourage it. I’m sorry. The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today is one of the racists,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
Vinícius pointed out that from Brazil, they see Spain as a nation of racists. “A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export to the world the image of a racist country. I am sorry for the Spanish who disagree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country racist,” he added.
