Vinícius attacks Spanish football authority for not curbing racism

The Real Madrid forward, Vinícius Júnior, has launched an impassioned attack on the Spanish football authorities — saying that “racism is normal in La Liga” — after he was subjected to monkey chants and other racist abuse during their 1-0 defeat away to Valencia.

Midway through the second half, play was delayed for several minutes after Vinícius, 22, appeared to be racially abused by a Valencia supporter.

The Brazil forward stood in front of the fans behind the goal and pointed to one, with his team-mate, Éder Militão by his side.

Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, the referee, spoke to stadium officials, who made an announcement calling for the racist insults to stop. Play resumed about ten minutes later.

Vinícius has been subjected to such racist behaviour within Spanish grounds for much of the season, while an effigy of the player was hanged from a bridge in Madrid before the derby against Atletico in January.After the latest incident in Valencia Sunday night, he tweeted: “It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, the federation does too and the opponents encourage it. I’m so sorry.

 “The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to racists. A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export the image of a racist country to the world.

“I’m sorry for the Spaniards who don’t agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. And unfortunately, for everything that happens each week, I have no defence. I agree. But I am strong and I will go to the end against racists. Even if far from here.”

Vinícius was later sent off in stoppage time at the end of the game, for apparently striking Hugo Duro, the Valencia striker, during a brawl.

His anger was echoed by the Real coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who said: “I don’t want to talk about football, I want to talk about what happened here, it is more important.

“A stadium shouting ‘monkey’ at a player, and that a coach has to think about taking off the player, there’s something bad in this league.

“The game should have been stopped. It wasn’t only one person, it was a stadium racially insulting a player.”

Dani Ceballos, the Real midfielder said: “There’s a lack of respect for Vinícius shown continuously at almost every stadium in Spain. It’s a shame we’ve got to this point.

“It’s true the coach asked him if he wanted to keep playing. Vinícius is a professional and said he wanted to keep helping the team, but we see that we can’t do anything.”

Justin Kluivert, the Valencia striker, said sorry to Vinícius on behalf of his club. “I apologise from us, all of Valencia, because this is not football. It’s very bad,” he said.

The Brazilian football federation (CBF) president, Ednaldo Rodrigues, also condemned the abuse. “How long are we going to experience, in the middle of the 21st century, episodes like the one we witnessed, once again, in La Liga?” he wrote in a statement released by the CBF on Instagram. “How long will humanity remain just a spectator and an accomplice in cruel acts of racism?”

Rodrigues offered the forward a message of support. “You have all our affection and that of all Brazilians, Vinícius,” he wrote.