Vinicius Junior has become one of the most vocal players in the fight against racism in soccer. The Brazilian star, who has been the object of discrimination from fans during his time in Spain on several occasions, has revealed that he and his Real Madrid teammates are prepared to leave the pitch if there’s a racist episode during a game.
“We talk about it often at the club. Not just me, but all the players have said that if this happens again, we will all have to leave the field so that all those people who insulted us face a much harsher punishment,” he told CNN in an interview published on Wednesday, Aug. 28.
“It’s always very difficult to end a match, but with everything that’s happening, which keeps getting worse, we need to leave the field so that things can change as soon as possible,” he explained.
Vinicius says he is glad he can help “change the mentality” in Spain
In 2023, Vinicius received racist insults during a match in Mestalla against Valencia. The incident ended up with three fans sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty, being the first conviction for a racism case in professional football in Spain.
The Brazilian star also referred to that case, saying that his Real Madrid teammates “all agreed that the right thing to do was to leave the field. But when you’re there defending a team, we know that not everyone in the stadium is racist—they were just there to watch the game.”
He added that speaking about racism is hard for him —he also suffered insults against Barcelona, Sevilla, Mallorca and Real Valladolid— but he is aware that he is privileged. “It’s not even close to what ordinary people suffer on the streets. I always think about that,” he said.
However, the striker also said that he was “glad” he could help change the “mentality” in Spain. “Today, maybe some fans are still racist, but they are afraid to express themselves on the football field and in places where there are many cameras. With that, we will gradually reduce racism,” he concluded.
How does LaLiga fight racism?
LaLiga collects evidence of racist insults and forwards it to local hate crime prosecutors, who have often chosen not to file charges. LaLiga has requested that the Spanish government amend the law to allow direct punishment of the offenders. The organization commended Valencia’s ruling for sending “a clear message to those who attend football matches to hurl insults.”