This Monday, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, valued the Spanish court’s decision to convict three Valencia fans for racist insults against Brazilian Vinicius Júnior, from Real Madrid, during a Spanish Championship game, in May 2023 .
In a statement, Infantino highlighted the importance of a conviction of this type in combating racism in football and also praised the justice system in Spain and La Liga.
“I am pleased to see the firm gesture and sentence from the Spanish authorities regarding the racist insults directed at Vinicius Júnior in a Spanish La Liga match in May 2023. This is a positive step,” he wrote.
The president also reinforced that “these people have to be excluded, they are not part of our community nor are they part of football”.
The three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison, in addition to fines and a two-year ban from entering any football stadium where Spanish Championship or national team games are played.
President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino:
“I am pleased to see the firm gesture and sentence from the Spanish authorities regarding the racist insults directed at Vinicius Júnior in a Spanish La Liga match in May 2023. This is a positive step.
According to…
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) June 10, 2024
Check the note in full
I am pleased to see the firm gesture and sentence from the Spanish authorities regarding the racist insults directed at Vinicius Júnior in a Spanish La Liga match in May 2023. This is a positive step.
As I clearly reiterated at the recent FIFA Congress in Bangkok, we can no longer accept what has happened in stadiums and on the pitch. Our message to people in all parts of the world who still behave racistly when it comes to football is clear: we don’t want you. These people have to be excluded, they are not part of our community nor are they part of football.
This decision demonstrates one of FIFA’s five pillars of action: criminal charges. We, united as global football, will fight for the recognition of racism as a crime in every country in the world and, as we saw today in Spain, where there has already been a case of this type, we will fight for criminal prosecution with the severity that the issue deserves.
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.
