Vinicius Junior, just 22, has been one of the best wingers in the game for some time now, scoring the only goal when Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League final last season.
But his fast pace and other footballing qualities took a backseat to the series of racist slurs the young Brazilian was subjected to throughout the season. On Sunday, when his team lost 1-0 away to Valencia, he reacted angrily to another insult and received a red card instead of some kind of defense in the 97th minute.
La Liga President Javier Tebas has taken issue with Vini’s claims that racism is a major problem in Spain’s top division stadiums, so the young winger has compiled some of the things he gets repeated on a regular basis. There have also been reports that he was forced to consider leaving the club and Spain for the first time since his arrival from Brazil in 2018.
Tebas may continue to close his eyes or live in denial, but the problem is very real and needs to be addressed somehow. It simply cannot be ignored.
Cada rodada fora de casa uma surpresa desagradável. E foram muitas nessa temporada. Desejos de morte, boneco enforcado, muitos gritos criminosos… Tudo registrado.
Mas o discurso semper cai em “casos isolados”, “um torcedor”. Não, não são casos isolados. San episodios… pic.twitter.com/aSCMrt0CR8
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) May 22, 2023