At least four people have been arrested under suspicion of hanging an effigy depicting Vinicius Junior from a bridge prior to Real Madrid’s match against Atletico.
The incident occurred on the morning of January 26, where the effigy was displayed by its neck on a highway in Madrid. Additionally, a banner affixed to the bridge conveyed the message, ‘Madrid hates Real’.
Following a hate crime investigation, Spanish authorities announced on Tuesday that the four individuals have been arrested.
Real Madrid and Atletico denounced the act, and La Liga released an official statement in response.
The statement from La Liga expressed firm condemnation towards acts of hatred and intimidation directed at Vinicius Jr.
It emphasized that La Liga will persist in advocating for an inquiry conducted by relevant law enforcement agencies, striving to hold the culprits accountable and demanding the harshest penalties.
Throughout the season, Vinicius has faced racist abuse, with the most recent incident occurring during Real’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla.
The game was halted for five minutes as Vinicius identified a group of home supporters engaging in racist chants and gestures towards him.
Although the Brazilian winger contemplated leaving the field, he ultimately completed the match, albeit receiving a red card during stoppage time.
Later that evening, Vinicius posted a forceful statement on social media, criticizing La Liga and Spanish authorities.
Vinicius wrote: “This wasn’t the first, second, or third time. Racism is normalized in La Liga. The competition accepts it, as does the Federation, and the opponents encourage it. I deeply regret this.”
Over the past two seasons, La Liga has filed nine criminal complaints concerning racist abuse targeting Vinicius. Unfortunately, many of these complaints were dismissed by prosecutors.
Real Madrid has now filed a fresh hate crime complaint following the distressing incidents at the Mestalla. Luis Rubiales, the head of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), has also voiced his support for Vinicius.
Rubiales stated:
“We have a problem in our country regarding behavior, education, and racism. [Vinicius] is more accurate in his assessment than we might think. Our objective is to ensure that all footballers can declare that racism is no longer a problem.”
