Vinicius Junior broke down in tears during an emotional press conference on Monday, saying the racist abuse directed at him was made worse by the perpetrators' impunity.
The Real Madrid forward spoke ahead of Tuesday's match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabéu, a friendly group set up to “strengthen the fight against violence and racism in football”.
Vinicius Jr. has suffered persistent racist abuse in Spain, where he has been subjected to racist abuse at more than 10 stadiums in Spain over the past two years. However, he said he is not considering leaving Spain because doing so would give those who abused him “exactly what they want.”
“Since the first time I accused him of what happened to me, things have gotten worse,” he said. “People feel like they can keep saying things about the color of my skin in an attempt to influence my play because they won't be punished. But they could try it in a different way,” he said. And I don't think there's a problem with that. I just want to play and go to the stadium without anyone stopping me because of the color of my skin.”
Vinicius Junior will return to Mestela this month to face Valencia. This will be the first time since the Real Madrid match in May 2023. Spanish Football newspaper reported that they were subjected to racist abuse by “hundreds of fans” before kick-off. Federation (RFEF) — The same goes for what happened during the match that drew worldwide attention.
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Vinicius Jr. returns to Mestalla, attracting attention to Valencia and La Liga
He scored twice for the club in a 2-2 draw and celebrated his first goal by pumping his fist into the stands, replicating the iconic gesture made by Tommy Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. did.
11 days later, La Liga It was reported that there were racist chants directed at Vinicius Junior outside Atlético Madrid's Civitas Metropolitano stadium before the match. champions league draw Inter Milan To the Madrid Public Prosecutor's Office.
Suspected chants of “Vinicius, die” were previously reported outside the Olympic Stadium. Barcelonadraw in the Champions League naplesMadrid filed a complaint with the state attorney general's office for “crimes of hate and discrimination” following the two incidents.
He went on to say, “I just want to play football, but it's hard to move on… (the racist abuse) is making me feel less and less willing to play.”
“I never thought about[leaving Spain]because if I left Spain, I would be giving the racists exactly what they wanted.
“I will stay because that way the racists can keep looking at my face. I am a bold player, I play for Real Madrid and I have won many titles. But that's making a lot of people uncomfortable.”
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Vinicius Junior and racism in Spanish football – has anything changed?
(Oscar J. Barroso/European Press via Getty Images)
