Vinícius Júnior will return to play at Valencia on Saturday in Real Madrid’s first visit to Mestalla Stadium since the Black player was racially abused by local fans last season.
That attack was among the worst the Brazil forward has had
to repeatedly endure in Spain. It led to an upswell of support for Vinícius and
forced soccer authorities to take action, even though the abuse toward him has
continued.
Vinícius was reduced to tears during that match last May
after confronting a Valencia fan who called him a monkey and made monkey
gestures. After initially not wanting to continue, he kept playing. He then
vowed to not back down.
“The league that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo,
Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi now belongs to racists,” Vinícius said.
“But I’m strong and I will fight until the end against the racists.”
The abuse suffered by Vinícius — and his strong words saying
not enough had been done to stop it — prompted the Spanish soccer federation to
fine Valencia 45,000 euros ($48,700) and close part of the team’s stadium for
five games. Valencia banned from the stadium for life the three fans who were
arrested by police for racially abusing Vinícius.
Many hoped that game would be a turning point. But the hate
Vinícius is subjected to during away games has not stopped. In October, Sevilla
ejected a fan and filed a complaint with police after the spectator allegedly
displayed “xenophobic and racist behavior” toward the 23-year-old.
On Thursday, Spanish police reported that they had arrested
an Atletico Madrid fan for allegedly threatening and hurling racist insults at
an eight-year-old girl who was wearing a Vinícius shirt before a Spanish
capital derby in September.
Valencia has been critical of what it considers the
incorrect categorization of its fanbase as being racist.
“Mestalla always respects its rival. What we saw last year
was from a minority. Three, four, 10 people. The club acted as it had to,
banning them for life,” Valencia veteran defender José Luis Gayà said this
week. “(But) our fans were treated unfairly. Since I have been here our
supporters have been exemplary in every way and I am sure they will be so
again.”
OTHER INCIDENTS
There are at least two more court investigations into racist
acts targeting Vinícius, along with more complaints filed by Spanish league
officials.
State prosecutors are seeking four-year prison terms for the
four men, apparently Atletico fans, who hung an effigy of Vinícius off a bridge
before another derby in January 2023. In another case, a judge is investigating
a verbal attack by a Mallorca fan.
The first trial against a fan who racially insulted a player
in Spain is expected to begin this year following remarks by an Espanyol
supporter against Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams.
BELLINGHAM DOUBTFUL
Jude Bellingham, the league top scorer with 16, has missed
the last three games for Madrid due to a hurt left ankle. He is training
individually, and it seems plausible that coach Carlo Ancelotti would not want
to rush him back before next week’s Champions League game against Leipzig.
Madrid leads the Spanish league with six more points than
Girona and eight more than Barcelona.
The game will be Valencia’s first in two weeks after its
game in the last round was postponed in respect for the victims of a deadly
fire in the Mediterranean city. Valencia, with a game in hand, is 10th.
Girona plays at Mallorca on Sunday, when Barcelona faces a
tough trip to fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao. AP
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