In an unprecedented legal reprisal against civil disobedience, five received prison sentences. They have been convicted of racially abusing Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr in a La Liga match on December 30, 2022. Vinicius walks past supporters after being subbed out during Real Madrid’s 2-0 win against Real Valladolid last week. That’s when the abuse exploded at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium. This ruling is a watershed moment in Spain’s battle against racism in sports.
The defendants were convicted for using the racist chant aimed at Vinicius Jr before and during the match. They were each sentenced to eight months in federal prison. According to Spanish law, this punishment is suspended if, within the next three years, they don’t break the law at all. They are banned from going to any football games while this punishment is enacted. The court’s fine judgments were specifically directed at the individuals’ comments.
The case against these fans was simply one case in a larger campaign to root out racism in Spanish football, or futbol. La Liga didn’t stop with filing the complaint or acting as the principal private prosecutor. Subsequently, both Vinicius and Real Madrid officially entered the lawsuit in support of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
“This judicial decision is a remarkable milestone in the fight against racism in sports at Spain,” said a spokesperson for La Liga. “Until today, rulings applied only to conduct that undermined moral turpitude with a racial aggravating factor.”
This designation in the ruling explicitly identifies the use of racist insults as hate of crimes. Today’s action further strengthens the message that intolerance will not be tolerated in football. It would not have been possible without the pressure from La Liga, and this positive ruling is proof of that,” the spokesperson continued.
As we’ve detailed previously, this is an issue that’s growing more dire by the day. It’s something that’s happened before, with a supporter racially abusing Vinicius Jr and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze during separate matches at Mallorca in 2023. This man was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence. Not only did they apologize directly to Vinicius Jr in a letter, they took part in anti-discrimination training. He was also given a three-year stadium ban.
After the players’ attacks, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for racially abusing Vinicius Jr. Their actions included racially charged gestures and yelling racial slurs while mocking the color of his skin. These incidents have increased scrutiny on the prevalence of racism in football, leading stakeholders to demand stricter punishment to address racist conduct.
Vinicius Jr is the most important player for Real Madrid right now and one of the most important players on Brazil’s national team. Across his career, he’s been targeted by racial abuses over and over. This ruling is truly momentous. It sets not only a dangerous example for how future similar incidents will be handled but also a powerful example for how similar incidents should be handled.
