Vinicius Jr vs La Liga: The fight against racism in Spanish League becomes a global fight

Vinicius Jr has been in the headlines all around the globe this week after Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Valencia on Sunday. However, it is not the result causing issues among the fans, it is the incident that happened in the injury time. Vinicius Jr faced vile racial abuse during the match as the Brazilian footballer took to Instagram saying that the league that once belonged to legends like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo belongs to the racists.

Not just in this fixture, the Real Madrid star has been facing many racial abuses in the La Liga campaign of 2022-2023. Vini was subjected to brutal racism from the fans in the stands who allegedly called him 'monkey monkey'.  The player was sent-off at the 97th minute and no other player who were aggressive towards the 22 year-old were shown card as he was chocked by the Valencia players. 

Vinicius Jr gets support from fellow footballers

Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain offered a message of solidarity to Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.  Rio Ferdinand, Neymar, and Lewis Hamilton, have also expressed their support for Vinicius Jr. The footballer expressed gratitude for the encouragement and stated that he hoped to inspire and shed light on the fight against racism. Many footballers and other sportspeople came together to support the Madrid forward who claims that he has been fighting this battle alone since he moved to Spain and now has been backed by the people. Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue turned off its lights for an hour in solidarity with Brazilian soccer player Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian government, along with the football community, denounced the racist slurs directed at the Real Madrid player. The Archdiocesan Sanctuary, in collaboration with the Brazilian FA and the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football, orchestrated the symbolic act. The Christ the Redeemer Archdiocesan Sanctuary expressed its condemnation of the racist attacks and turned off the monument's lighting to symbolize the collective fight against racism and support those who face prejudice worldwide. The Brazilian government asked Spanish and sports authorities to pursue those guilty, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino voiced solidarity.

What actions have been taken against the abusers?

Spanish League has a racism problem, its football federation chief Luis Rubiales claimed on Monday, highlighting the criticism by Brazil after Real Madrid filed a race crime complaint following insults happened at the La Liga star.  

READ MORE: Spanish Police Arrest Four People For Hanging Vinícius Junior Effigy Off Bridge In Madrid

The Brazilian football player condemned the racist insults he received during a match in Spain and demanded that sponsors and broadcasters hold him accountable. Because of racist comments made at Vinicius, the match versus Valencia was temporarily halted, prompting him to say that press releases and blame-shifting were unsuccessful in resolving the situation.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized zero tolerance for racism in football.  There have been calls for stronger actions, such as stadium closures and lifetime bans, have emerged from activists and figures like Lewis Hamilton and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The need for more significant measures to combat racism in Spanish football has gained momentum.

READ MORE: OFFICIAL | Valencia CF To Ban Fans For Life Who Racially Abused Vinícius Junior

According to the reports, Valencia has banned the fans that are identified for a lifetime as Real has already taken the case to the prosecutors as a hate crime. The Spanish league has filed nine criminal complaints of cases of racial abuses recorded in the past 2 seasons. The Spanish league  said today it will seek to increase its authority 
The Spanish league has filed nine criminal complaints of cases of racial abuse against Vinícius in the last two seasons, with most of them being shelved by prosecutors.
The league said Tuesday it will seek to increase its authority to impose sanctions in cases of hate crimes committed during games. It had previously stated that it could only detect and report instances to authorities and the country's football federation.

So, far four people suspected of hanging an effigy towards Vinicius Jr in January off a highway bridge in Madrid are arrested. These arrests came two days after the recent racial abuse agaisnt Valencia.