Brazilian president Lula condemns racism, extends show of solidarity with Vinicius
The president of Brazil has extended his support to Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. after he suffered blatant racist attacks on Sunday in Valencia.
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke at a news conference at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan on Monday, but he started the speech by addressing a problem that happened in Spain with a Brazilian soccer player.
By now, the racist remarks that Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. suffered while playing a game in Valencia against their LaLiga opponents have circulated throughout the news cycle. It’s unfortunately not the first time that the 22-year-old has encountered racist attacks. In January, some fans of Atlético Madrid hung a Vinicius Jr. doll from a bridge and there have been several incidents of racist chants during games.
This time, it was a full stadium chanting, “Vinicius, you are a monkey”.
Racism within LaLiga is becoming such a problem that it’s caught the attention of the Brazilian president, who called on them and FIFA to take action.
“I want to begin this interview with a gesture of solidarity with a Brazilian soccer player - young, black, who plays for Real Madrid, who yesterday, in a game in the Valencia stadium, was harshly attacked, being called a monkey,” said Lula.
”It’s not possible, in the middle of the 21st century, to have such strong racial prejudice in so many soccer stadiums. It’s not fair that a poor kid who’s done so well in life, who may be on his way to becoming the best in the world, without doubt he’s the best at Real Madrid, gets insulted at every stadium he plays.”
“It’s important that FIFA, the Spanish league, and leagues in other countries take the necessary measures, because we cannot allow fascism and racism to take root inside a soccer stadium.”