SUMMARY
- Vinicius Jr. has been racially abused in Spain multiple times.
- Villareal's Dani Parejo makes a shocking admission about the Brazilian.
Vinicius Jr.’s troubles with racism are nothing new for the soccer community. The Brazilian has been regularly targeted by Spanish soccer fans who have mocked their skin color. Despite the troubles, the 23-year-old has demonstrated amazing mental strength to continue playing at an elite level. Yet, even Vinicius Jr. showed signs of cracking after he cried at a press conference.
Vinicius Jr cries after racism question in press conference 💔 pic.twitter.com/M4FHW5td4f
— GOAL (@goal) March 25, 2024
However, players in La Liga do not seem impressed by the Brazilian’s criticism of racism in Spain. Dani Parejo from Villareal CF even believes that Vinicius Jr. should rather ignore the abuses.
Dani Parejo does not believe Vini Jr. acts professionally
The 34-year-old believes that the Brazilian is not the only player who has faced the wrath of fans in Spain’s top division. Dani Parejo has himself encountered many miscreants during his career who have abused him. However, the midfielder has continued playing soccer despite the setbacks. Never in his soccer career has Dani Parejo made a fuss about the abuses.
And this is what Vinicius Jr. has refused to do, according to Dani. He believes that abuses on soccer pitches are normal, and the players should not pay much attention to them.
Dani Parejo said, “I have also gone to grounds there and they call me drunk or whatever, and I don’t square up to people or make gestures. That’s unnecessary. The footballer has to be above these situations.”
Dani Parejo on Vinicius Junior 🗣️
“I have also gone to grounds there and they call me drunk or whatever, and I don’t square up to people or make gestures. That’s unnecessary. The footballer has to be above these situations.”
(Cadena SER) pic.twitter.com/cP2Z17LWoe
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) March 28, 2024
The player has, however, failed to differentiate the depth of the abuses received by Dani and Vinicius Jr. Abuse based on someone’s career can have a serious impact on a player’s mental health.
This was very well demonstrated when Vinicius Jr. broke down at a press conference ahead of Brazil’s match against Spain. During a period when many soccer players of color are facing racial abuse, Dani Parejo’s comments surely do not make any sense.
Aymeric Laporte trolls Vinicius Jr. for crying at the press meet
The Spanish player had a messy fight with the Brazilian during the match between Spain and Brazil. The Real Madrid player appeared to nudge Laporte from behind, which rattled the Al-Nassr player. The former Manchester City player almost had a go at Vinicius Jr., who had to be stopped by Athletic Bilbao player Nicolas Williams. However, it seems Laporte wasn’t going to easily forget the feud with Vinicius Jr.
Aymeric Laporte took to social media platform X to troll the Brazilian. He left a reply on a post capturing his fight with Vinicius, writing, “Maybe he wanted to dance..?🕺🏻🤷🏻♂️😂” This was in response to the press conference, where the Brazilian had started crying after detailing his fight with racism. Vinicius Jr. had offered his wish to solely play soccer amidst rising cases of racism.
Quizá quería bailar..? 🕺🏻🤷🏻♂️😂 https://t.co/2zSbkjOpNi
— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) March 26, 2024
Apart from the duel between the two players, the match was filled with exciting moments. The match, which aimed at combating racism, saw Spain and Brazil draw 3-3 after a highly competitive game. Rodrygo and Endrick, the future Real Madrid player, were on the scoresheet for Brazil, in addition to West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta.
While Manchester City’s Rodri hit a brace for Spain. Spanish forward Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig was amongst the five different players who scored in the game held at Real Madrid’s home, Santiago Bernabeu.