Soccer: Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr. Accuses Spanish League of Racism

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Image copyright: [via Wikimedia Commons]

The Facts

  • Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr. has accused the Spanish soccer league, La Liga, of racism after a portion of fans were seen directing racist abuse at the Brazilian forward on Sunday. The incident has been widely condemned.

  • Vinícius Jr. was reportedly subject to multiple instances of racist abuse during the game at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium — at one point, prompting officials to halt the game while an announcement warning against racist language was aired by the stadium's loudspeakers.

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The Spin

Narrative A

This is a disgraceful incident and, unfortunately, not the first time it has happened in La Liga. The game should have been stopped and La Liga needs to take meaningful action to prevent this type of incident from occurring again. This type of racism is unacceptable in 2023.

Al Jazeera

Narrative B

While this is an indefensible incident, La Liga does not actually have the authority to punish fans in this situation. It can only pass on the information to the Royal Spanish Football Federation or local prosecutors before relevant action can be taken.

CNN