By Jude Summerfield
Three Valencia fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison for racially abusing Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior during a La Liga game in May 2023.
Racist chants were aimed at the winger at the Mestalla Stadium last year and the convictions are the first for racist abuse at a football match in Spain, according to La Liga.
The supporters were also handed two-year stadium bans from any ground hosting Spanish top-flight matches or fixtures under the jurisdiction of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
Responding on X, Vinicius posted: "I'm not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It's for all black people.
"May other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I'll be here to collect. Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction."
La Liga president Javier Tebas added: "This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain, as it redresses the wrong suffered by Vinicius Jr. and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse.
"La Liga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them. I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity.
"As such, we at La Liga can only respect the pace of justice, but once again demand that Spanish legislation evolves so La Liga has sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism."
Vinicius and Tebas had clashed on social media in the immediate aftermath of the racist incident, with the Brazilian unhappy with the president's response.
A statement from Madrid reads: "Real Madrid, which has brought private prosecution together with Vinicius Junior in this procedure, will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behaviour in the world of football and sport."
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Valencia fans sentenced to jail for racially abusing Vinicius Junior.
