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Timeline of Vinicius Jr racism incidents as Real Madrid star targeted by racial abuse in Spain’s La Liga

Vinicius Junior’s battle against racism in La Liga continued with a shocking incident involving Valencia’s fans in Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat at the Estadio Mestalla on May 21.

The 22-year-old Brazilian international, his teammates, and fans around the world were left angered by the latest episode of racism that saw Vinicius as the target of racist chanting from a section of the home fans.

La Liga and the Spanish football federation (RFEF) are under pressure to take a firmer stance over the situation, which has now seen Vinicius subject to abuse in multiple stadiums across Spain.

The Sporting News looks at the timeline of the incidents that have tarnished La Liga’s image around the world and seen reports surface of a potential departure of Vinicius from Spanish football. La Liga, which has pointed the finger at the civil and legislative authorities, has formally reported 10 cases of racial abuse directed at Vinicius over two seasons, but nine were not prosecuted because of insufficient evidence. 

MORE: All the fallout from the racial abuse suffered by Vinicius Jr in Valencia

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Timeline of racism towards Vinicius Jr in Spain

Vinicius is the latest player who has been the victim of racial abuse, with other star names in La Liga facing the same issue over the years. And the problem shows little sign of easing, or being addressed in any impactful way by the authorities.

Samuel Eto’o and Dani Alves were targeted during their time at Barcelona, alongside current Athletic Club captain Inaki Williams, prior to the incidents involving Vinicius in the last 12 months.

November 2021: Camp Nou abuse

Vinicius had previously raised issues over racist abuse from fans, but the first incident to be investigated by La Liga came after an allegation made against a group of Barcelona fans in 2021.

The case was eventually passed to the Barcelona public prosecutor, but the case was later dropped, as authorities ‘could not identify the perpetrators’.

September 2022: Atletico Madrid fan chants

Atletico Madrid fans were filmed chanting abuse towards Vinicius outside the Estadio Metropolitano prior to their 2-1 home defeat to Los Blancos early in the 2022/23 season.

The situation escalated following media reports claiming Vinicius’ ‘provocative’ behaviour and goal celebrations were antagonising rival fans in an ill-advised assessment of the situation.

The Real Madrid players celebrated their victory as racist chants continued to rain down from the stands.

December 2022: Racism at Valladolid

On his return from Brazil duty at the 2022 World Cup, Vinicius was targeted by Valladolid fans at the Estadio Jose Zorrilla, with insults and objects thrown onto the pitch as Real Madrid won 2-0.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti eventually opted to substitute his No. 20 as the barrage of audible abuse followed his withdrawal from the pitch.

January 2023: Atletico Madrid hang effigy over Valdebebas bridge

Spanish police investigated an incident of a ‘Vini Jr No. 20’ effigy hung from a motorway bridge close to Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground next to a banner reading ‘Madrid hates Real’ ahead of their Copa del Rey derby clash.

After months of delayed investigations, the Spanish National Police on May 23 confirmed four arrests over the incident, which has been classified as a hate crime.

Those arrested have been confirmed as members of an Atletico ultras group with three previously deemed as ‘high risk’ by local police.

February 2023: Mallorca fans filmed abusing Vinicius Jr

Vinicius was targeted on and off the pitch in Real Madrid’s February trip to Mallorca with a season-high of 10 fouls suffered inside 90 minutes of La Liga action.

Mallorca fans were also filmed on social media chanting racist slurs towards him with authorities again failing to identify and punish those involved.

May 2023: Valencia punished for fan racism

The latest instance of racist chanting towards Vinicius by opposition fans has created a watershed moment with the former Flamengo winger reportedly considering his future in Spain, though Real Madrid’s coach says otherwise.

Demands for decisive action towards anyone involved, and the club’s preventative measures, have ramped up significantly after more chanting in Los Blancos’ 1-0 loss on May 21.

Despite bizarre claims from certain quarters, that chants of ‘mono/monkey’ were misheard as their genuine intention of ‘tonto/silly’, have been rejected, and only serve to show the attitude of passivity towards certain racist behaviour.

La Liga and the RFEF have acted swiftly in the immediate aftermath, with Vinicius’ red card overturned in the circumstances, and Valencia hit with a €45,000 and a partial stadium closure for five games.

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When did Real Madrid sign Vinicius Jr?

Vinicius’ arrival at Real Madrid from Flamengo in July 2018 came after agreeing a deal 15 months previously, activated when he turned 18.

He was initially eased into the first team by Zinedine Zidane, playing an increasingly relevant role for the Frenchman, until his eventual departure in 2021.

However, Ancelotti’s return to Madrid at the start of the 2021/22 season has transformed Vinicius into arguably the best player in his left wing position in world football.

His partnership with Karim Benzema propelled Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2022, with 22 goals scored by the Brazilian in all competitions, including the winning goal in the Champions League final against Liverpool.

Despite the constant battle against racist abuse, his numbers and status have only grown in 2022/23, surpassing his numbers from a season prior.

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