Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. has voiced his disappointment with the way that La Liga has addressed racism at games, stating that the league "continues to do nothing."
The winger was racially abused by fans during a 2-0 win against Real Valladolid at the Estadio José Zorrilla. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Vinicius Jr. has faced racism while playing in Spain. Atletico Madrid publicly condemned the "unacceptable" chanting directed at him by their supporters back in September 2022.
Vinicius wrote on Twitter:
"Racists keep going to games and watching the greatest club in the world up close and La Liga continues to do nothing... I will carry on with my head held high and celebrating my victories and those of Madrid. In the end it's MY fault."
In response to Vinicius' statement, a La Liga spokesperson said:
"We are investigating last night's match and, as always in these cases, will work with the clubs and appropriate authorities to identify and prosecute anyone guilty of hate speech."
"La Liga has detected videos uploaded to social networks of racist insults from a person, not from groups, and they will be charged as in previous cases."
La Liga has made some efforts to address and fight racism in Spanish football. For example, back in October 2021, the league reported racist insults directed at Vinicius Jr. to the prosecutor's office.
However, more recently, Spanish prosecutors announced that they had closed an investigation into racist chanting leveled against Vinicius by Atletico fans. They stated that it was not possible to identify the individuals responsible for the horrific incident.
This lack of action has understandably left the Real Madrid forward unhappy and frustrated. In a sport that is meant to bring people together, it is deeply disappointing to see players subjected to such hateful behavior.
Racism has no place in football or any other aspect of society, and it is crucial that authorities take decisive action to stamp it out. The Madridistas will certainly be looking to La Liga to increase their efforts in dealing with racism.
Vinicius' teammate David Alaba also came in support of the forward.
Vinicius Junior aids Real Madrid in signing Brazilian wonder-kid Endrick
Endrick recently scored a hat-trick in front of more than 60,000 fans at a charity match. In an interview with MARCA following the game, the teenager spoke about his recent transfer to Real Madrid, his idols in the sport, and the players who provided guidance to him before he signed his contract with the club.
When asked about his idols, he said:
"Real Madrid are a very big team. Vini (Vinicius Jr.) had sent me messages and gave me more hope. Cristiano also, who is my idol, played for Real Madrid. That's why I chose Real Madrid and I think it's the right choice."
The forward will leave Palmeiras for Madrid in 2024 when he turns 18. In the meantime, he will hope to continue impressing for the Brazilian outfit.