Vinicius Jr – latest: Real Madrid racism row sees four arrests as La Liga seeks more powers to fight abuse
The racism storm in Spanish football continues after Vinicius Jr was subjected to racist abuse in a game between Valencia and Real Madrid on Sunday
Four people have been arrested over the hanging effigy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr in Madrid as the fallout from Spanish football’s racism storm continues.
The effigy was hanged by the neck on the morning of the Madrid derby between Real and Atletico in January, beneath a banner bearing the words “Madrid hates Real”. The arrests come in the aftermath of a heated match on Sunday in which Vinicius was racially abused by some Valencia supporters, an ugly incident that has become a regular occurrence for the Brazilian winger to endure this season.
Vincius has said Spanish football “belongs to racists” and Real Madrid have lodged a ‘hate crime’ complaint. In Brazil, president Lula came out in support of the player and the lights were switched off on the Christ the Redeemer statue last night in solidarity.
Follow all the latest news and developments below.
Brazilian government calls on Spanish authorities to take action
Earlier on Monday, the Brazilian government called on Spanish and sports authorities earlier to punish those responsible for the “racist attacks” against the player, while the president of football’s governing body FIFA Gianni Infantino expressed his solidarity.
Other sporting figures such as Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand, and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton also voiced their support for Vinicius Jr.
The 22-year-old Brazil international later posted a picture of the statue silhouetted against the moon on Twitter and expressed his gratitude for the support he had received.
“Black and imposing. Christ the Redeemer was like this just now. An action of solidarity that moved me. But I want, above all, to inspire and bring more light to our struggle,” he wrote.
Spanish Football Federation head Luis Rubiales admitted there was a real problem of racism in the country’s football where “press releases don’t work anymore”.
Lights switched off on Christ the Redeemer statue in solidarity
The lights on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer were switched off for an hour on Monday night in a display of solidarity with Vinicius Jr after the Brazil forward was racially abused during a club match in Spain.
The lights were turned off at 1800 local time to cap a day when the Brazilian government and the world of football united to condemn the racial slurs aimed at the Real Madrid player during a Spanish league match on Sunday.
The Archdiocesan Sanctuary that manages the monument carried out the act in cooperation with the Brazilian FA and the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football.
“The Christ the Redeemer Archdiocesan Sanctuary repudiates the racist attacks suffered by the Brazilian player Vinicius Junior,” the body said in an Instagram post.
“The lighting of the monument will be switched off as a symbol of the collective fight against racism and in solidarity with the player and all those who suffer prejudice around the world.”
Spanish police detain four over Vinicius Jr effigy hung from bridge
Spanish police detained four men on Tuesday in connection with an incident in which an effigy representing Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Jr was hung from a bridge in January, a day after a senior official said Spanish football had a racism problem.
A hate crime investigation was opened after the effigy wearing winger Vinicius Jr’s No. 20 shirt was hung from a bridge in front of the training ground of Real Madrid, the player’s team, along with a 16-metre red and white banner, the colours of rival team Atletico Madrid, that read “Madrid hates Real”.
The arrests come a day after football federation chief Luis Rubiales said Spanish soccer has a racism problem, following a race-crime complaint lodged by Real Madrid.
After racial slurs were aimed at the Real Madrid player during a Spanish league match on Sunday, Vinicius Jr, in a social media post, called the racist abuse “inhuman” and asked sponsors and broadcasters to hold LaLiga accountable.
The four men could be responsible for an alleged hate crime and three of them are active members of “a radical group of fans of a Madrid club”, police said. Those three members were previously identified during matches and qualified as “high risk” to help prevent violence in sport, they said.
LaLiga, the country’s top football league, is under pressure to do more to combat racism after the Brazilian president, FIFA, and sporting stars such as France forward Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton voiced support for Vinicius.
The effigy incident took place before Real hosted Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in late January.
Vinicius Jr – latest news
Four people have been arrested over the hanging effigy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr in Madrid as the fallout from Spanish football’s racism storm continues.
The effigy was hanged by the neck on the morning of the Madrid derby between Real and Atletico in January, beneath a banner bearing the words “Madrid hates Real”. The arrests come in the aftermath of a heated match on Sunday in which Vinicius was racially abused by some Valencia supporters, an ugly incident that has become a regular occurrence for the Brazilian winger to endure this season.
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