Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior, who plays for Real Madrid in La Liga, has been subject to multiple incidents of racist abuse during games this season. As a result, he has accused the Spanish league of normalising racism and has criticised the response of the Spanish Football Federation, saying that Spain is now known as “a country of racists” in his homeland. Madrid has now lodged a hate crime complaint with Spanish prosecutors after Vinicius was targeted with racist abuse during their away tie against Valencia. The match was paused after the Brazilian player pointed out supporters who were taunting him to the referee, leading to his subsequent red card for violent conduct.
Vinicius has repeatedly received messages of support from other players, with French striker Kylian Mbappe offering his support via Instagram and former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand using social media to call for stronger action to tackle racism in the sport. FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino also expressed his support and called for greater action to support players who find themselves in such situations.
The incident has also been criticised by former players and broadcasters, such as Gary Lineker, who tweeted “once again, the player being abused is the only person to be punished”. Current Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti also criticised the lack of action by the league to tackle the issue, while Valencia director Javier Solis rejected allegations that all fans were involved in the abuse, insisting the club was investigating specific individuals.
Vinicius’s experience highlights a problem that continues to affect football and other sports around the world. In recent years, there have been a growing number of high-profile incidents involving racist abuse against players from all parts of the globe, including in the United Kingdom and Italy. The Football Association in England has introduced measures to combat the issue, while UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) has made similar moves at the European level.
However, both organisations recognise that more work needs to be done, particularly to create greater awareness around the issue and to foster a culture of respect and inclusivity across all parts of the sport. They have called on all fans, players, and officials to work together to tackle the issue and to support those who have been affected.
In particular, action is needed to address the underlying social issues that drive racism and other forms of discrimination. As well as working with individual clubs and leagues to develop education and awareness programmes to tackle these issues, football and other sports organisations need to engage more broadly with civil society and to work with other stakeholders such as government bodies, NGOs and community groups.
Ultimately, the issue of racism and discrimination in football is not just a sporting issue, but one that affects wider society. Football and other sports can play a powerful role in promoting social cohesion and in helping to break down barriers of prejudice and discrimination. By taking strong and decisive action to tackle these issues, sports organisations can not only help to protect players like Vinicius, but also send a powerful message about the values of respect, tolerance and inclusivity that underpin the sporting world.
