Valencia fans sentenced to eight months in prison for racist abuse of Vinicius

Three fans who insulted Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr during a match in Valencia last year were each sentenced to eight months in prison, LaLiga announced on Monday.

The league said the trio's conviction over an incident at Valencia's Mestalla stadium on May 21, 2023, was the first for racist abuse during a soccer match in Spain.

The individuals were also given a two-year stadium ban at any venue hosting LaLiga matches or matches under the jurisdiction of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

LaLiga said Valencia cooperated with the investigation and expelled the three people as members of the club.

A letter of apology addressed to Vinicius by the defendants was read out during the hearing, LaLiga said.

“This decision is excellent news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way towards repairing the shameful wrong suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those who go to a football stadium to throw protests. insults,” said La Liga president Javier. » said Tebas.

“LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences.

“I understand that there may be some frustration with the time it takes for these convictions to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity. We in LaLiga can only respect the pace of justice, but once again we demand that Spanish legislation evolves to give La Liga sanctioning powers that can accelerate the fight against racism.

Currently, La Liga can only submit the facts of a case to the relevant judicial authorities and is not able to sanction clubs, fans or players itself for hateful conduct, racism or acts of violence.

Real Madrid later released a statement confirming the convictions which concluded: “Real Madrid, which has exercised private prosecution with Vinicius Junior in this proceeding, will continue to work to protect the values ​​of our club and eradicate any racist behavior around the world. soccer. football and sport. »