Vinicius Junior, the winger for Real Madrid and Brazil, became emotional when questioned about the consistent and organized onslaught of racist insults he has faced while competing in La Liga.
Before his national team’s friendly game with Spain on Tuesday, Vinícius, who has been playing in the country since 2018, expressed his desire to focus on football. However, he admitted that it has been difficult for him to move forward due to experiencing racism. He also stated that he has never considered leaving Spain because he does not want to give in to the racists.
Vinícius was the victim of 10 instances of racist mistreatment, which were reported to law enforcement by La Liga. He spoke hesitantly at a media briefing in Madrid and had to regain his composure multiple times.
I am choosing to remain so that the racists are continually confronted with my presence. As a confident athlete for Real Madrid, we have achieved numerous victories and this does not sit well with some individuals. The Brazilian team will be playing against Spain in a friendly match at the Santiago Bernabéu in support of the anti-racism campaign, “One Skin”.
The player, whose shot deflected off the post and led to Endrick scoring Brazil’s winning goal against England at Wembley on Saturday, expressed that he felt personally responsible for defending this important cause. He added, “I am committed to staying here, playing for the best club in the world, scoring goals, and winning titles. Everyone will have to continue seeing my face for a significant amount of time.”
Dani Carvajal, who plays with Vinícius on Madrid’s team, recently addressed the issue of racism in Spanish football. The Spanish full-back stated, “I do not believe that Spain is a racist country. We have a strong sense of integration. I grew up in a humble neighborhood in Leganés and had friends from all different backgrounds and nationalities, many of whom have different skin colors.”
Unfortunately, there are individuals who attend football games in order to release their anger and aggression. This behavior only escalates when someone is hurt, which is truly unfortunate. People like this should not be permitted to enter stadiums, as it is the most disgraceful aspect of sports.
Last week, the Brazilian national coach, Dorival Júnior, was interviewed by the Guardian about the situation involving Vinícius. Júnior expressed his belief that with the proper focus and effort from the police, it should be feasible to locate those responsible. He compared the situation to that in his own country, where many individuals endure daily struggles but are often silenced by the ineffective actions of authorities.
Brazilian football player Rodrygo, who also plays for Real Madrid, told the Guardian that he has taken legal action against people who have abused him on social media. He believes that strict penalties should be put in place for the prevalent abuse that occurs during Madrid’s away matches. The forward stated, “Once there are consequences for these actions, I think things will improve. But without any repercussions, the abuse will continue.”
Source: theguardian.com
