The Brazilian government summoned, this Monday, the ambassador of Spain to express its “displeasure” for the racist acts against Vinícius Júnior, star of the Real Madridinsulted during a Spanish league match on Sunday.
“There was a telephone contact” with the Spanish representative, María del Mar Fernández-Palacios, “to convey the Brazilian government’s displeasure at the repeated racist attacks against the player”, he told the AFP a source from the chancellery.
Brasilia expressed to the diplomat its “expectation that measures will be taken in the case” by the Spanish government and sports authorities.
On Sunday, Vinícius complained about being called a “monkey” in Real Madrid’s 1-0 defeat by Valencia.
The facts, which bring back the shadow of racism to Spanish football, have generated a wave of indignation.
From Japan, where he participated in the G7 summit, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that “it is not possible that, almost in the middle of the 21st century, we have racial prejudice gaining strength in several football stadiums in Europe”.
I would like to make a gesture of solidarity with the @vinijr, a young man who is certainly Real Madrid’s best player, and who suffers repeated offenses. I hope that FIFA and other entities take steps to prevent racism from taking over football.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) May 21, 2023
In a note, President Lula’s government condemned this Monday the repeated racist attacks against Vinícius Júnior in Spain.
“The Brazilian government deeply regrets that, so far, effective measures have not been taken to prevent and avoid the repetition of these acts of racism”, says the text.
It also urged government and sporting authorities in Spain “to take the necessary steps in order to punish the perpetrators and prevent the recurrence of these acts” and urged FIFA, the Spanish Football Federation and LaLiga to take the appropriate measures.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Valencia (Spain) launched an investigation this Monday into an alleged hate crime, a day after the Spanish Championship announced its own investigation.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
