Three fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years for racist abuse committed against Vinícius Júnior at Mestalla in May 2023.
The incident, which took place during Real Madrid's 1-0 La Liga defeat to Valencia, caused a stir around the world after the Brazilian star identified an individual in the crowd who had been racially abusing him. which caused the suspension of the match.
Vinícius then lashed out at the Spanish authorities' handling of the issue, saying “racism is normal in LaLiga”, while the league called for greater powers to address the issue.
On Monday, three fans were found guilty of a crime against moral integrity, aggravated by discrimination on racial grounds, under article 173.1 of the Spanish Penal Code.
They were sentenced to an initial sentence of 12 months' imprisonment, reduced from 1⁄3 to eight months, according to a principle that provides for reduced sentences for defendants who accept criminal responsibility.
They also received a three-year stadium ban, reduced to two years for the same reason, and will have to pay costs.
“Many people asked me to ignore it, others said my fight was in vain and that I should just 'play football',” Vinícius said in a post on X.
“But, as I have always said, I am not a victim of racism. I am an executioner of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It is for all black people.
“Let the other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I will be here to denounce them. Thank you to LaLiga and Real Madrid for helping to achieve this historic conviction. There is more to come.”
The defendants' lawyers asked on Monday for their prison sentences to be suspended – a common practice in Spain for sentences of less than two years – and prosecutors did not object.
The judge will rule on that request at a later date.
LaLiga praised the guilty verdict and said it was the first of its kind in Spain.
“This ruling is great news in the fight against racism in Spain,” said LaLiga president Javier Tebas. “It repairs the wrong suffered by Vinícius Júnior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to utter insults. LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them.”
“I understand that there may be some frustration about the time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity. LaLiga can only respect the pace of justice, and once again demand that Spanish legislation evolve so that LaLiga has sanctioning powers that can accelerate the fight against racism.”
In a statement on Monday, Real Madrid said it would continue working to eliminate racism.
“The three defendants have accepted their criminal responsibility and have made public a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid CF and other people who felt denigrated and offended by their behavior,” the statement reads.
“This is the first conviction for acts of this nature handed down by criminal courts and tribunals.
“Real Madrid, which participated in this persecution together with Vinícius Júnior, will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behavior in the world of football and sport.”
