On Monday, three Valencia football supporters were sentenced to eight months in prison for committing hate crimes against Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr.
This marks the first conviction for racist insults in a Spanish football stadium, as reported by the court.
“The ruling handed down today, which is final, establishes as proven that the three defendants insulted Vinicius with shouts, gestures, and chants referring to the color of his skin,” the court said in a statement.
“These shouts and gestures of a racist nature, consisting among other things in the repetition of the sounds and imitating the movements of monkeys, caused the footballer feelings of frustration, shame, and humiliation, with the consequent undermining of his intrinsic dignity.”
In Spain, individuals convicted of non-violent crimes with prison sentences of less than two years typically do not require first-time offenders to serve jail time.
Therefore, the three individuals are likely to remain free unless they engage in further criminal activities.
The three fans, who admitted to the charges, were also prohibited from entering football stadiums for two years and were instructed to cover the expenses related to the legal proceedings.
“This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain as it repairs the damage suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to insult that LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them,” LaLiga president Javier Tebas said.
The incident took place at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium in May of the previous year, where racist insults were directed at Vinicius, a black player, during a league match.
Real Madrid Vinícius Jr complaining about racist insults directed at him against Valencia
This incident prompted widespread support for the Brazilian forward and sparked various local and global initiatives, such as the establishment of a FIFA anti-racism committee consisting of players.
“During the hearing, the defendants read a letter of apology to Vinicius Jr, LaLiga and Real Madrid,” LaLiga said in a statement on Monday.
The court confirmed that the sentences had been handed down and said they would be officially announced later in the day.
Vinicius Jr. played a crucial role in Real Madrid’s Champions League victory this season. He was honored as the player of the season in the competition and is considered one of the top contenders for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player, which will be announced in October.
La Liga reported sixteen cases of racist abuse against Vinicius to Spanish prosecutors over the past two seasons.
In March, during a press conference, Vinicius tearfully expressed his difficulty in staying motivated and finding joy in playing football because of the persistent abuse. He called upon Spanish authorities to address the issue.
In April, the Spanish TV channel Movistar Plus+ terminated the employment of analyst German Burgos. This action came after both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain declined to provide interviews to the network in response to a comment by Burgos about Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, which was viewed as discriminatory.
During the same month, Atletico Madrid and Getafe were instructed to partially close their stands due to incidents of racist and xenophobic behavior during a La Liga match.
Additionally, a third-division game between Rayo Majadahonda and Sestao River was halted after Rayo’s Senegalese goalkeeper Cheikh Kane Sarr confronted a rival fan who was racially abusing him.
