REAL MADRID
Fan who racially abused Vinicius hit with prison sentence and stadium ban
LaLiga has announced that a Mallorca fan has been sentenced to one year in prison and banned for three years from entering soccer stadiums for racist insults, at Vini and Chukwueze.
More punishment handed out in Spanish football for racism in the stands. Specifically, the Court of Instruction No. 3 on Palma, Mallorca has resolved two separate racist episodes carried out by the same perpetrator: one during the Mallorca-Real Madrid game on 5 February 2024 in which Vinicius was on the receiving end and the second, in the match between Mallorca and Villarreal with Samu Chukwueze, the victim.
LaLiga reported that “both complaints, initiated and promoted by LaLiga (with RCD Mallorca, and subsequently RMCF and the player VINICIUS JR joining as defendants), have been resolved with convictions for Crimes of Moral Integrity with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination on racist grounds and also applying the mitigating circumstance of repentance.
“The sentences imposed amount to six months in prison and a ban on entry into football stadiums where LALIGA and/or RFEF matches are held for one year and six months for each of the crimes. That is, in total, one year in prison and three years of prohibition from entering stadiums.”
The organisation added regarding its hardline action against racism: “This is the second sentence handed down for racist incidents that occurred in football stadiums and represents the consolidation of a legal criterion regarding the criminal consequences of this type of behavior.”
Incidents involving underage perpetrators
Additionally, also in Palma de Mallorca, an out-of-court settlement has been reached in the case of the minor who insulted and threw water bottles at Aurelien Tchouameni during the match between Mallorca and Real Madrid on 13 April.
In this agreement, ratified by the parties, the minor agrees to:
- Apologize to the player, Real Madrid CF and LALIGA
- Carry out the specific socio-educational activities proposed by the Juvenile Section of the Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Palma de Mallorca
- Pay the fines imposed by the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, amounting to €4,000 for racist insults and €3,001 for throwing objects onto the pitch.
- No access to LALIGA and RFEF stadiums for 1 year.
Both actions are the result of the continued work of LALIGA and the clubs, which increasingly count on the support of other fans to identify and report the perpetrators of these behaviors with the aim of ensuring that they do not go unpunished.
Vinicius has been consistently vocal about how racism embedded the Spanish game. In a recent CNN interview, he condemned racism in Spain, stating that the country needs to evolve or it won’t doesn’t deserve to host the 2030 World Cup. His comments have sparked significant controversy and debate within Spain.