Popular Brazilian Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior has said racism is normal in LaLiga regarding the outburst that occurred during the Valencia vs Real Madrid match, May 21st 2023.
Real Madrid suffered defeat of 1 to nill at the home of Valencia in the LaLiga fixtures and the match was stopped for about ten minutes after Vinicius Junior received racist abuse from Valencia fans, videos that surfaced the internet shows that the home side fans were calling him Mono Monkey.
As the match continued at the stoppage moment Vinicius had frustration in him and this resulted to hitting Valencia’s Hugo Duro in the face after this rough action the referee issued Vinicius a red card for sent of purpose.
The 22 year old Real Madrid player sarcastically applauded the decision before leaving the pitch. According to him he has been the victim of racial abuse on multiple occasions this season and throughout his football career. after the game he tweeted: “It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga. In football they think it’s normal, the federation does too – and the opponent encourages it. I’m so sad. The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to racism. 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 something that happens each week, I have no defence. I let it happen. But I am strong and I will go to the end against racists. Even if it is far from here.”
In support of his player Real Madrid Manager Carlo Ancelotti also tweeted: “Today has been a sad day at Mestalla, where a group of fans have shown their worst version. It is time to stop talking and act forcefully. Racism cannot have a place in football or in society. NO TO RACISM ANYWHERE.”
Reacting to this Valencia also released a statement stating that investigation will be done into the attack on Vinicius. “Valencia, in its commitment to the values of respect and sport, publicly reaffirms its position against physical and verbal violence in stadiums andf regrets the events that occurred during the LaLiga matchday 35 match against Real Madrid. Although this is an isolated episode, insults to any player from the rival team have no place in football and do not fit in with the values and identity of Valencia CF. The club is investigating what happened and will take the most severe measures. In the same way, Valencia CF condemns any offence and also requests the utmost respect for our fans. Apart from these isolated incidents, Valencia CF would like to thank the more than 46,000 fans for their assistance and support for the team in the game this Sunday, May 21.”
