Accused of laissez-faire in the face of racism in football, the Spanish authorities tightened the screw on Tuesday, two days after new insults uttered against Brazilian star Vinicius Junior, causing a wave of international indignation.
Seizure of an investigation for “hate crime”, a criminal category including racist crimes, the Spanish police announced that they had arrested three young people suspected of “racist behavior” during Sunday’s match in Valencia, where the Real Madrid striker been targeted with insults and monkey cries.
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These three young people aged 18 to 21, arrested thanks to the collaboration of the Valencia club, were placed in police custody and then “released” pending legal action, a spokesperson for the club told AFP. police. The latter said it was continuing its investigation “to identify other alleged perpetrators”.
A video published on Tuesday by the television channel La Sexta shows that a large number of supporters also sang racist chants (“Vinicius, you are a monkey!”) when Real Madrid players arrived at the Valencia stadium, before the game.
Also eager to act, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) indicated for its part that it had suspended the video referee of the match between Valencia and Real Madrid, marked by multiple incidents, who will be replaced in his duties when the next day of the championship.
Nacho Iglesias Villanueva is accused of having provided the main referee only with the images of the gesture which earned Vinicius a red card at the end of the match, failing to broadcast those of the Valencia player, Hugo Duro, guilty of a gesture resembling to a choke against the Brazilian.
Later in the evening on Tuesday, the Federation announced that Vinicius would not be suspended following his red card, but that instead a stand at the Valencia stadium would be closed for five matches and that the club would also be fined of 45,000 euros.
Additional sign of firmness: the police announced on Tuesday that they had arrested four other people, including three members of a group of ultra supporters, in the investigation into the hanging of a mannequin bearing the image of Vinicius on January 26, the day of derby won by Real Madrid against Atlético Madrid.
This model, wearing a jersey of the Merengue striker, was found hanging from a bridge in the Spanish capital, under a banner bearing the inscription “Madrid hates Real”. After this incident, Real Madrid had denounced a “racist act” and “repugnant” against its 22-year-old player.
Regular target of racist attacks since his arrival at Real Madrid in 2018, the Brazilian international stepped up to the plate on Sunday evening in a message on Instagram to express his fed up. “It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga”, he regretted.
Spain is “a beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export the image of a racist country throughout the world. I’m sorry for the Spaniards who don’t agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists,” he insisted.
The insults towards Vinicius have aroused numerous condemnations abroad and in Spain, where the presence of racism in stadiums and part of society has long been denounced by players and anti-racist associations, who consider the problem insufficiently addressed. seriously.
Pointed out for its supposed laxity, La Liga defended itself by indicating that it lacked the power to sanction. She assured to have transmitted eight complaints to justice this season for attacks against Vinicius, remained for the most part and at this stage without effect.
Most Spanish media also called for tougher action. “It is not enough not to be racist, you have to be anti-racist”, wrote in white letters on a black background the sports newspaper Marca, in a forum on the front page of its edition. “Basta ya” (that’s enough), headlined El Mundo Deportivo.
“To condemn is not enough anymore,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters on Tuesday. “The institutions have an opportunity now to take drastic measures on this important subject,” insisted the Italian technician.
In a press release, the Spanish government announced that it would offer the Federation as well as La Liga an “awareness campaign” aimed at supporters. “Spain fights these behaviors, condemns them and does everything to eradicate them,” insisted the spokesperson for the left-wing government, Isabel Rodriguez.
