Four individuals have received suspended jail sentences after being found guilty of committing hate crimes targeting Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. The verdict marks a significant step in the ongoing fight against racism in Spanish football.
The quartet was convicted for their involvement in hanging an inflatable effigy of Vinicius Jr. from a bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground in January 2023. This disturbing act occurred shortly before Atletico Madrid’s Copa Del Rey match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, accompanied by a banner that read: “Madrid hates Real.”
Three members of the group were sentenced to 14 months in prison, while the fourth received a 22-month sentence for distributing images of the act online. However, these sentences have been suspended after all four signed a letter of apology to the Brazil international, Real Madrid, La Liga, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The ruling also includes a restraining order, prohibiting the quartet from coming within 1km of Vinicius Jr., his home, or Real Madrid’s training ground. Additionally, they face a blanket ban from attending any La Liga or Spain national team matches.
Vinicius Jr. has been a frequent target of racial abuse since joining Real Madrid in 2018 from Flamengo. The 24-year-old, who has made 316 appearances for the club, was subjected to racist chanting by Atletico fans in September 2022 during a La Liga match. He was again targeted later that month during a match against Real Valladolid, leading to five people later receiving suspended prison sentences for those incidents. In December 2022, just a month before the effigy incident, Vinicius Jr. publicly urged La Liga to take stronger action by banning individuals found guilty of racist chanting from attending matches.
