Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr was the subject of racist chanting by Valencia fans at the Mestalla as his side lost 1-0 to Valencia, with the forward receiving a red card as his frustration poured out.
Relegation-threatened Valencia took the lead through youngster Diego Lopez in the first half before a series of flashpoints overshadowed the game in the second half.
Vinicius Jr singled out a fan who had racially abused him from the stands, but Valencia captain Jose Gaya managed to calm the Brazilian forward down.
The racist chanting continued, with chants of “mono” or monkey clearly audible from the stands in a bid to provoke the winger.
Once again, the player being abused is the only person to be punished. https://t.co/cGJjyzPLyI
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 22, 2023
In the 97th minute, the provocation spilled onto the pitch after a confrontation between Vinicius Jr and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
The resulting scuffle saw the Brazilian clash with Hugo Duro, who had him in a headlock. He lashed out and struck the Spaniard in the face, earning the first straight red card of his professional career.
Vinicius Jr has been a target of racism in La Liga this season
Despite all of his quality on the pitch, Spanish fans have targeted Vinicius Jr with racist remarks and chanting throughout the season.
The 22-year-old saw his ordeal begin when he danced to celebrate his goals, with fans all over the country uniting against him. He has faced over ten reported cases of racism in various stadiums this season, with no punishment meted out yet.
Journalist Colin Millar revealed that two Valencia fans had been apprehended by the club and police for the racist attacks and would be prosecuted for hate crimes.
Não foi a primeira vez, nem a segunda e nem a terceira. O racismo é o normal na La Liga. A competição acha normal, a Federação também e os adversários incentivam. Lamento muito. O campeonato que já foi de Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano e Messi hoje é dos racistas. Uma nação…
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) May 21, 2023
Vinicius Jr took to social media to complain after the game, stating that the league was indifferent toward his plight and that he would not mind leaving to move away from the racists.
La Liga president Javier Tebas was criticised for his response to the events, and it remains to be seen what line of action the league takes. Vinicius Jr has endured a lot of hateful chanting this season and the league stands to lose one of its brightest stars if something is not done quickly.
