Seven individuals have faced punishment for their offensive behaviour towards Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr.
The incidents occurred on separate occasions and have now resulted in legal consequences.
Four men, who hung an effigy of Vinicius near Real Madrid’s training ground in January, have been fined €60,001 each and handed a two-year ban from attending matches at stadiums. They were recently arrested and subsequently released on bail by a Madrid court.
Furthermore, three individuals, aged between 18 and 21, have been fined €5,000 each and subjected to a one-year ban for making racist gestures during Real Madrid’s game against Valencia on 21st May. The police detained them two days after the match.
These sanctions were imposed by Spain’s State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance in Sport, as confirmed by the country’s Sports Commission on Monday.
Vinicius Jr expressed his disappointment with the Spanish league, stating that it “belongs to racists.”
La Liga president Javier Tebas faced widespread criticism for his initial response on social media, where he advised Vinicius to “inform yourself properly.”
However, Tebas later apologized to the 22-year-old, clarifying that he did not intend to “attack” him.
