“Racism is normal in La Liga,” said Vinicius Jr after he was the target of abusive chants during Real Madrid’s away game against Valencia.
The 22-year-old has encountered racism since his 2018 arrival in Spain but Sunday’s game was arguably the worst yet as players erupted and online discourse followed. Valencia have promised to ban for life the fans who abused him.
The match at the Mestalla was paused as the winger pointed out the home supporters who were taunting him and chanting – but tensions continued to rise as Vinicius was later sent off in added time as players broke into a brawl.
He was confronted by Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, while Hugo Duro grabbed his neck before the Spanish U-21 international fell to the ground in response to a very light push from the Brazilian as he tried to free himself. No Valencia players were sent off.
“It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga,” Vinicius wrote on Twitter after the game.
“The competition thinks it’s normal, the Federation does too and the opponents encourage it… The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi today belongs to racists.”
Rather than showing his support, La Liga president Javier Tebas tagged Vinicius in a tweet that read: “We have tried to explain to you what La Liga is and what it can do in cases of racism, but you have not shown up to either of the two agreed dates that you yourself requested.
“Before criticising and insulting La Liga, you need to inform yourself properly Vinicius.
“Don’t let yourself be manipulated and make sure you understand the work we have been doing together.”
Vinicius hit back: “Once again, instead of criticising racists, the president of La Liga appears on social media to attack me.
“No matter how much you talk and pretend not to read, the image of your league is shaken. Look at the responses to his posts and be in for a surprise… Omitting yourself only makes you equal to racists. I am not your friend to talk to about racism. I want action and punishment.”
Real Madrid also put out a statement to “strongly condemn” the events during Sunday’s game, saying: “Real Madrid believes that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, and has therefore filed the corresponding report with the Attorney General’s office, specifically with the Prosecutor’s office against crimes of hatred and discrimination, in order for the facts to be investigated and for those responsible to be held accountable.”
High-profile figures such as Rio Ferdinand, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have also shown their support for Vinicius via social media.
Comment
By Layton Ryan-Parson
Despite the many “say no to racism” campaigns, there continues to be blatant ignorance in football as abuse continues to rain down upon players.
For those who remain quiet, it must be said that not being actively against it means passively accepting it.
Black people should feel free to express themselves but somehow Vinicius’s excellent performances and dance celebrations were too much to handle for some. I truly hope that he continues to exude confidence that goes beyond the racist notions of how a black man should behave.
The Spanish league is the subject of current headlines and rightly so, but it must not be forgotten that this is a problem across Europe and the rest of the world too.
Romelu Lukaku has been a victim of racism during his spell at Inter Milan and Mbappe revealed that he considered quitting the French national team after Euro 2020 due to a lack of support after suffering abuse.
On our own doorstep in the UK, racism continues to persist. Ivan Toney and Bukayo Saka have been – and continue to be – the subject of online racism.
So too has Marcus Rashford, who was made an MBE for his campaigning on issues including poverty, homelessness and child hunger.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino came out to offer “full solidarity” to Vinicius, saying “there is no place for racism in football or in society and Fifa stands by all players who have found themselves in such a situation”.
He added: “That is why the three-step process exists in Fifa competitions and it is recommended at all levels of football.
“Firstly, you stop the match, you announce it. Secondly, the players leave the pitch and the speaker announces that if the attacks continue, the match will be suspended. The match restarts, and then, thirdly, if the attacks continue, the match will stop and the three points will go to the opponent.”
It is a method that has rarely been implemented and clearly has not significantly reduced racism.
We are on the road of progress but it is a long and meandering one. Earlier this year, a man who racially abused Toney online was banned from every football stadium in England but one instance of justice is not enough.
Responsibility also lies on education to teach children about equality and the racist power structures that are the foundation of our world. As Malcolm X said: “Education is an important element in the struggle for human rights… education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs only to the people who prepare for it today.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/ITyfkY3
Post a Comment