Vinicius Junior: Real Madrid forward calls on UEFA to punish ...
Vinicius was the target of chants by Atletico Madrid fans prior to their Champions League last-16 match against Inter Milan on Wednesday night; he wrote on social media: "It's a sad reality that even happens in games where I'm not present"; UEFA is yet to comment on the incident
Thursday 14 March 2024 17:31, UK
LaLiga will report the "deplorable racist chants" aimed at Vinicius Junior by Atletico Madrid fans to Spain's legal authorities.
The Real Madrid forward was again the target for abuse by Atletico fans prior to their Champions League last-16 match against Inter Milan on Wednesday night.
The Brazil forward has called on UEFA, which runs the Champions League, to issue sanctions.
European football's governing body is understood to be reviewing the official match report before making any decision on disciplinary action, but LaLiga has acted already even though the match was not under its jurisdiction.
"LaLiga will report the deplorable racist chants against Vinicius Jr before Wednesday's UCL match between Atletico de Madrid and Inter Milan to the Hate Prosecutor's Office, regardless of the fact that the match was played in another competition and that the chants took place outside the stadium," a league statement read.
"LaLiga is wholeheartedly committed to making football a hate-free space and will continue to work relentlessly to crack down on racism, homophobia, violence and hatred... whatever the competition."
Image: Vinicius called on UEFA to take action against the Atletico fans
Vinicius replied to a post on X, formerly Twitter, about the chanting and wrote: "I hope you have already thought about their punishment UEFA.
"It's a sad reality that even happens in games where I'm not present!"
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show some Atletico fans engaged in chants which referred to Vinicius as a "chimpanzee".
Atletico fans have engaged in racist chants towards Vinicius in the past, including at a Madrid derby in 2021.
Supporters of a number of other clubs in LaLiga have also directed abuse at the 23-year-old previously, including Valencia and Sevilla.
Last May, LaLiga president Javier Tebas apologised for suggesting Vinicius was being "manipulated" when the Brazilian called out racism he had suffered in Spain.
Tebas subsequently said racism could be wiped out from his competition in six months with the correct legal framework in place.
"What we want is the power to do more things. With the power we are convinced within months this would be solved," Tebas said.
"We are going along the legal route and I think in six months' time this will be at zero and we will be the best league in the world.
"The competencies we want are for those intolerable behaviours - racism, homophobia."
Image: FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to bring stricter laws into football to tackle racism
FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants football to adopt "new, stricter" measures worldwide to tackle racism when national associations gather for FIFA's Congress in Bangkok in May.
He has previously called for teams to forfeit matches where racist behaviour by their supporters forces a match to be abandoned.
