Racism directed at Madrid’s Vinicius Junior must bring change

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Graham HunterSpain writerMay 23, 2023, 12:04 PM ET8 Minute Read

Tebas slammed for inaction over racist abuse of Vinicius JuniorAlex Kirkland joins ‘The Gab & Juls Show’ to criticize La Liga president Javier Tebas’ response to racist abuse of Vinicius Junior.

Unless your overwhelming stance is unqualified support and outrage from Vinicius Junior after what happened to him in Valencia on Sunday, then you are part of the problem. From his arrival at Mestalla to his departure to board the Real Madrid team bus, he was, once again, subjected to brutal and criminal levels of outright racism.

If there is some sort of “but” forming in your mind, you are simply wrong. Nothing Vinicius has done at Valencia – and nothing he has ever done on or off a football pitch – explains or contextualizes the aggressive fans who insult him because of the color of his skin. Nothing. (Real Madrid’s decision to file a hate crime complaint also confirms the seriousness of how Vinicius was treated.)

I have written about racism so many times in my career. For ESPN, I covered the racist treatment Vinicius is receiving in Spain as recently as February. I don’t know how many people read the article, but I do know that almost a million people read the tweet I shared this column with. I am delighted.

It is now a subject of worldwide attention. It remains an abuse of human rights and human dignity which – and I can only speak for myself here – drives me to a rage on behalf of Vinicius and all who suffer from racism. It’s a topic that can bring tears of helpless fury. Please: take a few seconds to reflect on how this crime makes the men, women and children who experience occasional and deliberate racism on a daily basis – at work, on the streets, at play, in public or in private – ?

I admit that the first reflex is to channel the fury into words. Trying to use the articulation, the public platforms that I’m lucky enough to take advantage of, and that level of anger in order to catalyze awareness, broader support, and God help us, successful action to start eradicating the idea that racism is just one thing we have to tolerate in this space. La Liga president Javier Tebas was quick to try to play down Vinicius’ angry reaction, saying the player was being unfair in his social media posts and that “cases of racism are extremely rare”. As far as I’m concerned, it’s time to take a more forensic, more clinical approach, not just anger or claims/counter claims.

Vinicius deserved better than the way the abuse against him was handled at Valencia on Sunday night. But when will the real changes be made for the benefit of every player and fan? Jose Miguel Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images

I want to focus on a few key points. First: There is categorical audio and visual evidence that Vinicius was targeted before and during the game by a large number of fans who racially abused him. Don’t be fooled, under any circumstances, by apologists who believe there is confusion about what was said or that it “wasn’t that bad”, either.

Second: I believe in the principle of evidence. So while I’m not accusing anyone of racial discrimination, if you were Vinicius or someone who cares about him, you’d be forgiven for having a few extremely blunt questions to ask.

After his absolutely sublime save to prevent Toni Kroos’ free-kick, Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili commits a red card, but is only cautioned. What happens? Well, the game is in injury time, Valencia’s precious 1-0 victory is protected and Yunus Musah tries to waste a few seconds by clinging to the ball.

Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger pulls it away from him and pushes Musah to the ground. Vinicius, who ran to help win the ball, stands over the lying young Valencian, and at this point Mamardashvili sprints towards Vinicius and practically attacks him. It’s another red card foul and a fight breaks out, which eventually involves the majority of the players.

Another red card foul comes from Valencia striker Hugo Duro, who has Vinicius in a chokehold/armlock around the throat. His and Mamardashvili’s actions can be contextualized by the extremely vital nature of the three-pointers, as seen in the late-game tension: extreme surges of aggression in an ultra-competitive environment, yes, but they’re both still red cards.

Vinicius then goes wild with his forearm, grabs the Valencia striker and is properly sent off once VAR review the incident. Everything has been reviewed, but why was only Vinicius ejected? Why didn’t VAR inform that the two Valencia players were handed penalties?

Only the refereeing team on the pitch and, more importantly, VAR official Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva can answer this question adequately. But they were wrong, and in the context of all that transpired, it’s not unfair to ask: Was Vinicius particularly interested and focused during the review, to the detriment of VAR and officials on the pitch? ground evaluating and acting on other transgressions?

Third: It may be outrageously optimistic of me, but I am determined to believe that a good positive step can come out of the absolute shame of what happened in Mestalla. Some of the avenues to reduce and (hopefully) eradicate racist behavior from football stadiums are punishment, awareness and re-education.

It is high time that racist incidents caused the partial or complete closure of stadiums. Watch clubs and fanbases adapt their behavior when draconian penalties that hurt the pocket (and hurt their battle for LaLiga points) are repeatedly imposed.

It is also high time for white teammates and bosses to actively defend players who have been victims of racist abuse. It is too late for them to stand in unity, speak in unity and refuse to continue playing in games marked by racial slurs. So let’s move on to some of those who spoke after the game.

In his ‘flash’ interview after the match, Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said he had no interest ‘in talking about football’. Responding to broadcaster Movistar, he said: “I think what happened here is more important. More important than a defeat. What happened today, when a coach has to think about withdrawing a player because of this – something bad is happening in this league.

“Vinicius didn’t want to continue the match and I told him that I thought it was unfair that he stopped the match because it was not his fault, he was the victim. So he continued, but This league has a problem. An incident of racism like this deserves to stop the game in my opinion.

“This stadium was racially insulting a player: we have to stop the game, there is no other way, and I would say the same if we had won 3-0. I told the referee and he talked about the protocol. There’s no buts about it. Let’s see what happens now. Nothing, I think.

“It has happened often in other stadiums and nothing is happening. The situation is very serious.”

Total and pure and simple solidarity from the boss of Vinicius. A 63-year-old multi-millionaire who has probably never directly experienced racial abuse, but is bristling with outrage, demanding attention to the problem, demanding punishment and offering his player unreserved support. It will have an impact.

Ancelotti was there for his star player and sent a powerful message in this battle. We just need more.Jose Miguel Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images

So take Thibaut Courtois. After the match, also on live TV, the Real Madrid goalkeeper recounted complaining to the referee about the racist abuse his team-mate suffered and the culture of vitriolic insults he sees every week. Courtois pointed out that if the current ‘protocols’ put in place by LaLiga don’t include removing teams from the pitch and potentially abandoning the game, then they should be updated accordingly.

Jose Gaya and Justin Kluivert, two of Valencia’s heroes, eventually spoke out against the racist abuse, but the former tried to stop Vinicius from identifying the guy behind the goal who was harassing him. The latter, a young black player, at the same time urged the fourth official to book Vinicius for wasting time as Madrid trailed 1-0.

Not everyone in the heat of the moment is able to do or say the right thing. Or wants. On Sunday night, I think Valencia markedly misjudged the issue by issuing a more semantically driven statement about whether the whole stadium was chanting racial slurs or not. On Monday, their statement was much more relevant and appropriate. At noon European time, they published: “Valencia CF will ban for life those who have made racist gestures towards Vinicius.”

Better, and late, but better late than never.

Vinicius’ management agency TFM has made it clear how the Real Madrid star feels. “It is just another reflection of what has been seen throughout this LaLiga season, in which it has become clear to the world that in all of Spain they do not accept the role of a young black man, who does not accept that the most decisive and most relevant athlete in LaLiga is a young black man.

“LaLiga’s veiled consent to all this discrimination has for months been a message to all Spaniards, that he doesn’t want to have the best, if they are black.”

Let this trickle of forensic examinations of what is really happening, not myths or agendas, become a flood. Let players and managers, club owners and communication directors, fan groups and the media identify, criticize and condemn racist actions, comments or environments without fear or hesitation. Let them physically, morally and vocally stand with abused teammates. Everytime.

Change will be slow, but change can happen. (Seven arrests have been made in connection with abuse against Vinicius, according to Spanish police on Tuesday.) The honest question, given how victimized and even blamed Vinicius is, is whether he will still be in La Liga to profit from all the reforms made after the disgusting events in Mestalla on Sunday night.

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