Spanish courts have delivered a landmark verdict against four Atletico Madrid supporters convicted of hate crimes targeting Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr.
The suspended prison sentences, ranging from 14 to 22 months, stem from a racially-charged incident ahead of last year’s Copa del Rey clash between the Madrid rivals.
Vinicius, the 24-year-old Brazilian winger of Cameroonian descent, has endured persistent racial abuse since arriving in La Liga five years ago.
This case specifically addresses the hanging of an effigy bearing his number 20 shirt from a Madrid bridge in January 2023, accompanied by a banner proclaiming “Madrid hates Real.”
Alongside their suspended sentences, the convicted individuals face stringent restrictions including a four-year ban from attending any Spanish football matches within four hours of kickoff or final whistle.
Court mandates also prohibit them from approaching within one kilometer of Vinicius’s residence, Real Madrid’s training facilities, or the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
This ruling marks the third major legal action involving abuse against Vinicius in the past year alone.
Last summer saw three Valencia fans receive eight-month sentences for stadium abuse, while five Real Valladolid supporters were similarly punished for 2022 incidents.
The suspended nature of the sentences hinges on the defendants completing anti-discrimination education programs—a judicial approach that continues drawing debate about Spain’s handling of racism in football.
As Vinicius prepares for the new season, these verdicts underscore both the persistent challenges he faces and the gradual judicial response to combatting Spanish football’s racism crisis.
Legal experts note the cumulative effect of these cases may establish stronger precedents for future racial abuse prosecutions in Spanish sports.
For Vinicius, the battles off the pitch continue paralleling his exploits on it, as the forward remains both a lightning rod for abuse and a reluctant symbol of Spanish football’s reckoning with racism.
