Five People Sentenced To Prison For Racially Abusing Vinicius Jr

Five individuals have been sentenced to prison for racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a league match earlier this season.

Spanish La Liga, which is battling to combat racism in football across Spain, confirmed this development on Wednesday, April 21.

During a December 2022 match against Real Valladolid, Vinicius faced racial abuse from fans as he left the field after being substituted.

The Provincial Court of Valladolid responded with a one-year prison sentence for the offenders, with fines ranging from 1,080 euros to 1,620 euros.

These prison terms are suspended on the condition that the offenders do not engage in any criminal behaviour over the next three years, and they are prohibited from attending any matches during this time.

LaLiga’s proactive approach played a crucial role in this outcome, as the organisation filed the initial complaint and acted as the primary private prosecution, later joined by Vinicius, Real Madrid, and the Public Prosecutor.

This ruling is a landmark achievement in the fight against racism in sports in Spain, shifting from previous judgments that only addressed moral integrity violations with racial aggravation.

The explicit classification of these acts as hate crimes sends a strong message that intolerance and discrimination have no place in football.

Previously, three Valencia fans received eight-month sentences for racially insulting Vinicius, while another individual was handed a suspended 12-month sentence after acknowledging their wrongdoing and participating in anti-discrimination training.

Note that prison sentences of less than two years for non-violent offences usually do not result in actual jail time for first-time offenders in Spain.

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