Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr has pledged to take a stand against racism if he is abused during matches in Spain this season.
The two-time Champions League winner and Ballon d’Or contender has been the target of racist abuse on 16 occasions in the last 18 months while playing for Real Madrid.
He broke down in tears at a press conference earlier this year when discussing the subject, and has now had conversations with his Madrid team-mates on how they deal with any further instances that could arise over the coming months.
Vinicius Jnr, 24, revealed that the whole team has agreed to walk off the pitch if any player is racially abused by fans.
‘In the club we talk about it more often,’ he told The Mirror. ‘Not just me, but all players said that if that happens, the next time everyone has to leave the field so that all of those people who insulted us have to pay a much bigger price than they’re paying.
Vinicius Jnr said Real Madrid players will leave the pitch if they are racially abused this season
He has been the target of abuse on 16 different occasions in the last 18 months in Spain
One such instance occurred when Madrid played Valencia, which resulted in three men being handed prison sentences
‘In the case of what happened in Valencia, after the game – after we thought about it – everyone said that the right thing to do is to leave the field, but because you are there defending a team, we know that not everyone in the stadium is racist and were just there to watch the game.
‘It’s always very difficult to end a game but with everything that’s been happening, that each time is getting worse, we do need to leave the field so things can change as soon as possible.’
The Valencia game that Vinicius Jnr referred to took place in May 2023, and saw the Madrid forward sent off late on after he reacted angrily to a torrent of racist abuse aimed at him from the stands and got into an altercation with a Valencia player.
Vinicius Jnr’s red card was later rescinded, while three men were handed eight-month prison sentences in June for their racist remarks and gestures towards him.
LaLiga noted this was ‘the first conviction of its kind to be handed down in Spain’, and Vinicius Jnr believes the attitude towards racism in the country is slowly changing.
‘I already see and feel the difference in Spain. Today – maybe they are still racists – but nowadays they are afraid to express themselves in the football field, and in places where there are a lot of cameras.
‘And with that we will reduce racism, little by little. Of course we won’t be able to end it but I’m already happy that I’m being able to change Spain’s mindset. In the last few months there were three people who were jailed for insulting me in one of the games.
‘That’s something that will always be stamped in history. Because it was the first time and each time they do it again, it will be possible to make them pay for making Black people suffer.’
