Published 16:20 IST, May 24th 2023
Referee's harsh red card decision on Real Madrid's winger Vinicius Jr waved off
Vinicius Jr's red card against Valencia has been overturned by the RFEF after the player received immense support from the football world to fight racism.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
The red card handed to Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. during a La Liga match against Valencia, where the player encountered virulent racism, has been overturned, as the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has reported. Referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea sent off the Brazilian winger at the 97th minute of the stoppage time. He received it for striking an opponent following a small fight with Valencia players in which Vinicius appeared to choke around the neck.
During the match, Vinicius was racially abused at the Mestalla Stadium. It led to the game being standstill for 10 minutes, as the player was recorded pointing out the people who racially offended him from the stands. He was seen in tears during the match as the fans chanted disgraceful racial words from the seats.
What did the RFEF say about Vinicius Jr.'s red card?
“The RFEF Competition Committee considers that the referee’s assessment was determined by the omission of the entirety of the play that took place, which affected the refereeing decision,” the federation said.
“The fact that he (the referee) was deprived of a decisive part of the facts led him to adopt an arbitrary decision. And this is because it was impossible for him to properly assess what happened.”
After the incident, Real Madrid’s Vini went on social media to express himself. The entire football world came together to support the Brazilian, who claimed his life has been complicated in Spain since he first moved here in 2018. Famous sportspersons like Ronaldo Nazario, Kylian Mbappe, and Kaka came forward in the battle to fight against racism.
READ MORE: La Liga: Barcelona Loses To Valladolid, Raphinha Shows Message Of Support For Vinícius Júnior
Two days after the match against Valencia, Spanish police detained seven people accused of different hate crimes against the Real Madrid star.
According to the reports, RFEF also announced that they have fined the club 45,000 euros ($49,536). They have also banned the south stand of the Valencia football club’s stadium for the next five games. However, the La Liga club called the sanction “disproportionate” and “unfair,” claiming that it undermines the dignity of the fans who did not take part in this disgraceful event. The team also stated that they would fight the stadium’s partial shutdown.
Updated 16:20 IST, May 24th 2023