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Brazilian star Vinicius Junior has agreed to join a new task force against racism in soccer, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Thursday.
Vinicius, a Real Madrid striker, has been the victim of repeated racist attacks by fans in stadiums in Spain throughout the season, without the referees and football entities being able to protect him.
That has to stop, Infantino warned in a post on Instagram after meeting the player at the Brazil national team camp in Barcelona.
“If there is racism there is no football! So let’s stop the games,” Infantino wrote. “We are also going to increase the consultations with the players on this crucial issue and I am happy that Vinicius has agreed to be part of a working group that will have other important players that will elaborate concrete and efficient measures to end racism in football of Once for all”.
FIFA created an anti-racism task force in 2013 after an incident of abuse suffered in Italy by Kevin-Prince Boateng, the black AC Milan midfielder.