« Vinicius, you are a monkey. You are a monkey », « Vinicius, you are a singe. You are single », sang in chorus dozens of supporters of the Valencia football team, while the Brazilian striker of Real Madrid got off the bus, Sunday, May 21. « Mono, mono », took over, later, from the stands of the Mestalla stadium, a group of spectators from the south stand, imitating the gestures of a primate. Vinicius Junior saw them, he exploded, pointed at them. Then, the player approached, recriminated their gestures.
He was probably expecting a reaction from the sports authorities: that the match be stopped and those responsible for the insults excluded from the enclosure. But after ten tense minutes and a warning to the Valencia supporters over the loudspeakers, the match resumed. At the end of the game, the Brazilian was sent off for a scuffle with center-forward Hugo Duro, who was not sanctioned by the referee. The boos from hundreds of locals redoubled, it being unclear whether they were shouting ” tonto (idiot) or ” mono ” (monkey). Whatever, the damage was done anyway.
The same evening, Vinicius Junior split a message on the social network Instagram: “Racism is normal in La Liga [le championnat espagnol]. The competition considers it normal, the Federation too and the rivals encourage it. I regret. »
Nine complaints filed
This is not the first time he has been the victim of racist attacks. Since the start of the season, nine complaints have been filed with the courts for similar facts targeting the 22-year-old player, a football prodigy, who has become the scapegoat for ultras from all teams. Often referred to as « provocateur » by his opponents and some commentators, as if it were an excuse or a justification, he saw only two penalties for these repeated public insults. In one case, a €4,000 fine was imposed on a Real Club Deportivo Mallorca supporter by the Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport. In the other, Real Valladolid withdrew the season ticket of one of its fans.
On the other hand, a complaint from March 2022 was dismissed by the Mallorcan public prosecutor’s office, which considered that “the sounds uttered, though repugnant, vexatious and absolutely rejectable” did not seem “taking on the public penal dimension” necessary. Ditto for this other, examined by the Madrid prosecutor’s office. “Once the insults of a racist nature have been contextualized”, the courts nevertheless considered that they did not fit into “an offense against the dignity of the person”. For the rest, Vinicius Junior is still waiting.
You have 64.36% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.