Racist chants against Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior were heard outside the Carlos Belmonte stadium, this Wednesday (14), before the match against Albacete, from the Spanish second division, in the Copa del Rey.
A video published by the newspaper As shows a group near the stadium in the city of Albacete calling the Brazilian athlete “mono”, monkey in Spanish. The 25-year-old has repeatedly been the target of racism in Spain.
“Completely shameful. It is not the image that represents the people of Albacete or the club,” Albacete posted on social media.
In May 2025, five people received prison sentences in a landmark ruling in Spain that condemned racist insults at a football stadium as a hate crime. The case occurred during a Real Madrid victory over Valladolid, in 2022, with insults towards Vinicius.
There have been 18 legal reports of racist behavior against Vinicius since 2022. Real Madrid had no immediate comment on Wednesday’s incident.
Vinicius has in the past expressed his disappointment with what he describes as inadequate responses from governing bodies.
