SUMMARY
- Despite his success at Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr. has been subjected to racial abuse by fans in Spain.
- Vinicius Jr. broke down in a press conference when asked about the racial abuse he's faced.
Over the last few years, Vinicius Jr. has rapidly established himself as one of the best soccer stars in the world. Vinicius has been a fundamental part of Real Madrid’s recent success and is an undisputed starter in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s starting lineup. However, despite all the success he has enjoyed, Vini has fallen prey to racial abuse and slurs from fans in Spain.
Last season, over ten cases of racism against Vinicius Jr. were reported to prosecutors by La Liga. Earlier this month, Atletico Madrid fans were spotted chanting racial slurs against Vini outside the Wanda Metropolitano stadium ahead of their club’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan. Vini was recently asked about the racist behavior he has been enduring in a press conference ahead of Brazil’s international friendly against Spain.
❤️🩹🇧🇷 Vinicius got emotional during the Brazil’s press conference after three questions about racism.
“I’m sorry. I just want to play football, do everything for my club and my family, never see black people suffering.pic.twitter.com/TVSj20vsCN
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2024
However, Vinicius rather shockingly broke down upon hearing the question. The Real Madrid star admitted that despite trying to focus on his career, he doesn’t feel like playing anymore due to being racially abused. A tearful Vini said, “I’m sorry but I just want to play football, do everything for club and family, never see black people suffering.”
The clip of Vinicius breaking down during the press conference has immediately gone viral on social media platforms. Several fans united to condemn the racist abuse against Vini and expressed their support for the Brazilian winger. One fan even wrote, “We stand with Vini,” while others called out La Liga for failing to protect one of their star players.
Vinicius Jr. addresses rumors of him wanting to leave Real Madrid
Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr. also talked about the rumors of him wanting to leave Real Madrid. After the racist abuse he suffered last year, Vini suggested that he might leave Real Madrid. Moreover, there were also reports that the potential arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the summer transfer window might also lead to Vinicius’ exit from the Spanish club.
🚨⚪️ Vinicius Jr: “I have never thought about leaving Spain, because that would be giving the racists what they want”.
“I’m not going to leave the best club in the world”.
“I’m going to remain firm and strong because the president and the club support me”. pic.twitter.com/fcUwU1luGp
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 25, 2024
However, during the press conference, Vini confirmed that he has no intention of leaving Real Madrid. He said, “It never crossed my mind [to leave Spain] because if I leave Spain I give the racists exactly what they want.”
He further said that he would continue to play in Spain so that the racists continue to see him play. Lastly, Vini also added that seeing him play well and win titles for his club is something that doesn’t go down well with the racists.
La Liga president issued an apology after claiming Vinicius Jr. was being “manipulated”
Following last season’s incessant racist attacks on Vinicius Jr., the 23-year-old complained about the Spanish league’s failure to curb the racist behavior of the fans. Vini shared a post on his social media platforms complaining how the league that once belonged to the likes of Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi now belongs to racists.
Vinicius’ post didn’t go down well with the La Liga president Javier Tebas who claimed that the former was being “manipulated” and that he should inform himself before criticizing the Spanish league. Vinicius retaliated by criticizing Tebas for siding with the racists instead of offering him protection. However, Tebas quickly offered an explanation for his statements and issued an apology to Vini.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
La Liga president Javier Tebas has issued an apology to Vinicius Jr pic.twitter.com/tKRlwlNWYc
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 24, 2023
Tebas stated that the intention behind his message was misunderstood and that he didn’t mean to attack the Real Madrid star. Tebas also added that he has been discussing with the clubs in La Liga about how to effectively prevent such racist incidents from being repeated during the games. Lastly, Tebas stated that Vini’s accusation of him being a racist was not at all true and that he was sorry if he came across as so.