Valencia Football Club has been penalized with a partial closure of their stadium for a duration of five matches following the occurrence of racist abuse directed towards Real Madrid forward, Vinicius Jr.
The reprehensible incident took place at Mestalla Stadium on Sunday, prompting Spanish authorities to take immediate action. In connection with the abuse, three individuals have been detained by the Spanish police.
As a consequence of their misconduct, Valencia has also been fined an amount of 45,000 euros (£39,000).
The closure of Valencia’s south stand has been mandated, and the club has a window of 10 working days to appeal the decision.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has clarified that Vinicius Jr. will not face suspension despite being sent off in the 97th minute of the match.
The RFEF’s statement highlights that the referee’s decision to dismiss Vinicius was influenced by a lack of access to crucial information, rendering it impossible for him to make a fair assessment of the situation.
Elaborating on the rationale behind the partial stadium closure, the RFEF emphasized that the referee’s match report confirms the presence of racist chants targeting Vinicius. Such behavior disrupted the normal course of the match and is considered a severe violation.
“It is considered proven that, as reflected by the referee in his minutes, there were racist shouts at Vinicius, altering the normal course of the match and considering the infractions very serious.”
During the match, Vinicius, visibly angered by the abuse, reported the offensive actions of opposition fans to the referee, leading to a temporary suspension of the game.
Real Madrid has taken the matter seriously and reported the incidents of abuse towards Vinicius to the Spanish prosecutor’s office, categorizing it as a hate crime.
The club is committed to ensuring that such acts are addressed with the appropriate legal measures to combat discrimination in football.
