Five people received arrest sentences for racist insults against Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior during a match. The conviction for hate crime committed at a soccer stadium represents a historic decision in Spain, LaLiga said on Wednesday (21).
In December 2022, the Brazilian was offenses in Real’s 2-0 win against Real Valladolid as he walked in front of the fans after being replaced at José Zorrilla Stadium.
The Valladolid Provincial Court imposed on the five offenders a year in prison and fines ranging from 1,080 euros (about R $ 7,000) to 1,620 euros (R $ 10,300).
Prison sentences have been suspended on the condition that they do not commit any infraction over the next three years, and they cannot watch any match in the same period.
“Thanks to Laliga’s efforts, which filed the complaint and initially acted as the only private accusation – posted by player Vinicius and Real Madrid, as well as by the prosecutor – this exemplary decision was reached,” Laliga said in a statement.
“This court decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain, where, so far, decisions had addressed conduct against moral integrity with a racial aggravating factor.
“The fact that this decision explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football.”
Prison sentences of less than two years for non -violent crimes in Spain rarely require a defendant without previous convictions to serve a prison sentence.
In June last year, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for insulting Vinicius with “screams, gestures and songs related to the color of his skin.”
In September, a fan who racially insulted Vinicius and Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze, in two games in Mallorca in 2023, was considered guilty and received a suspended prison sentence.
The attacker had a 12 -month sentence suspended after apologizing on a letter to Vinicius and undergoing anti -discrimination training, but was also banned from the stadiums for three years.
