Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid looks on in the La Liga game against Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Sevilla, Spain, October 21, 2023. /CFP
Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF), on Sunday expressed support for Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. against racist abuse in La Liga.
"It is shocking to see acts of racism against Vinícius Júnior again," Rodrigues said in a statement by CBF. "Racism is a crime and must always be fought. It is regrettable that we still see actions like this. I am Black and I know the pain he [Vinicius] feels in every racist attitude from fans. I will always show solidarity with the victims of racism. We cannot normalize this. My voice will always be heard to curb such brutal attitudes."
Online footage shows a Sevilla supporter making a racist gesture toward Vinicius Jr. in the 86th minute during the La Liga game between Sevilla and Real at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on October 21. It was not the first time that the 23-year-old rising star was the target of racial abuse.
In early October, Vinicius Jr. gave evidence in the trial of three Valencia fans who were accused of racially abusing him in a La Liga game in May. "It wasn't the first time, or the second, or the third. Racism is normal in La Liga," he posted on Instagram in May. "The competition thinks it's normal, the [Spanish Football] Federation does too, and opponents encourage it."
Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid dribbles in the La Liga game against Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Sevilla, Spain, October 21, 2023. /CFP
As part of its efforts to fight racism, La Liga launched a system to monitor abuse on social media. The league's president Javier Tebas admitted in September that he was "not detecting earlier certain racism problems that Spanish football has."
Back in June, the state of Rio de Janeiro approved a law to battle racist behavior in sport events and it was known as the "Vini. Jr. law." It became the first of its kind in Brazil.
"At least, this time the perpetrator did not leave the stadium unpunished," Rodrigues said of the Sevilla fan act on October 21. "Sevilla did the least that a racist attitude deserves. The CBF will continue to pressure all football authorities and those outside the sport so that this heinous crime is punished rigorously. The CBF continues to work with FIFA, CONMEBOL and UEFA so that all sports entities in the world act vehemently against racism."