“Racism in Football: Vinicius Jr. and the Fight Against Discrimination”

Llights out to Christ the Redeemer, on the hill overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is in mourning for its young champion, mocked, insulted, threatened by the Spanish fans. Vinícius pievelóce thanks with a tweet — “a solidarity that moves me, but above all I want to inspire and bring more light to our struggle” — and post all the videos where they yelled at him in the stadiums mono, monkey. “Every day away from home is an unpleasant surprise – writes the Real Madrid striker -. Death wishes, hanged puppets, criminal cries. It’s not football, it’s inhumane.”

Last Sunday, in Valencia, the straw that broke the camel’s back. The images of Vini jr. went around the world. pointing to a fan in the bleachers, “it’s him, it’s him”. The ball stops. The coach Ancelotti paternally approaches him, convinces him to continue playing, “it’s not your fault”. But the ex enfant prodige, taken at the age of just 17 from São Gonçalo to Madrid (cost of the card: 46 million euros), then ends up out all the same for a red card (and for the coach «the foul it wasn’t there”.

The game moves quickly from the soccer field to the diplomatic field. President Luis Inácio will intervene on Monday Lula da Silva calling for “serious measures against fascism and racism” while his government expresses “dissatisfaction” with the Spanish ambassador in Brasilia. Yesterday it’s up to Spanish premier Pedro Sánchez to promise “zero tolerance” in stadiums while his foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, denies “a situation of diplomatic conflict”. As if by a miracle, after months of inertia and many matches soiled by racist chants, the police intervened. Seven arrests in a few hours: three boys between the ages of 18 and 21 indicted (and immediately released) for the events in Valencia and 4 other ultras for hanging a mannequin on 26 January hanged from a bridge in Madrid, with the shirt of VinÃcius. The charge is “hate crime”. This season, La Liga has filed eight complaints about attacks on the Brazilian. None so far have resulted in a criminal penalty. Meanwhile, the Spanish Football Federation has annulled the expulsion and disqualification of Vini jrdecided to close the grandstand of the Valencia stadium for five games and fined the team of 45.000 euro.

Lula has good reasons for running to the rescue of one of the best players in the world, who has become a symbol of anti-racism. 45% of Brazilians are mestizo or black, no nation outside Africa has so many inhabitants of African origin. And the country built on slavery has yet to come to terms with its own racism. A walk in the huge favelas – the same ones from which footballers often take off – is enough to understand the color of poverty in Brazil. Lula established a Ministry for Racial Equality, led by Anielle Franco, sister of Marielle, councilor of Rio, barbarously killed in 2018. If the fight against racism passes from the pride of a footballer, everything will be easier. However, the Brazilian president also has diplomatic reasons for putting pressure, without exaggerating, on his “Spanish friends”. Just a month ago he was greeted with great honors by Sánchez and they discussed at length the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, signed but stalled since 2019. In July, Spain assumes the rotating presidency of the EU Council and Lula expects him to speak up for Latin American interests.

That handful of arrests, however, may not be enough. Why as a furious Ancelotti said, «the whole stadium was yelling “monkey”». The Emilian coach is building the new Real Madrid around the 22-year-old center forward, the other Brazilian Rodrygo and the Franco-Angolan Camavinga. And the three young men of him defend them with drawn sword.  “Spain has a great opportunity to take serious action against racism,” he said yesterday, confirming that his protégé is “sad” but will not return to Brazil. wines jr. collects the solidarity of many players, from Mbappé to Pogbaand even the posthumous honors of the greatest of all: “Pelà © has always admired Vinicius, for his joy and his talent” the children of O Rei tweeted.