Three football fans sentenced to prison for racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr in Spanish first

THREE Valencia fans have been sentenced to prison for the first time in Spain for racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.

Racist screams were directed at Vinicius during a LaLiga match at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia on May 21, 2023.

The fans were found guilty of a “crime against moral integrity” with “aggravating circumstances of discrimination for racist reasons”.

The initial 12-month sentence was reduced to eight months after an agreement reached at the preliminary investigation stage.

The guilty fans were also banned from entering any football stadium where La Liga and/or Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) matches are played for two years.

Brazilian star Vinicius joined LaLiga, Real Madrid and RFEF in taking the case to court.

La Liga president Javier Tebas said: “This decision is great news for the fight against racism in Spain as it goes some way to making amends for the shameful mistake suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those individuals who go to a football stadium to hurl abuses.

“The League will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences.

“I understand that there may be some frustration with the time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity.

“We at La Liga can only respect the pace of justice, but once again we demand that Spanish legislation evolves to give La Liga sanctioning powers that can accelerate the fight against racism.”

Real Madrid said in a statement: “The three defendants have accepted their criminal responsibility and have made public a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid CF and other people who felt denigrated and offended by their behavior.

“This is the first conviction for acts of this nature handed down by criminal courts and tribunals.

“Real Madrid, which participated in this process together with Vinícius Júnior, will continue to work to protect the values ​​of our club and eradicate any racist behavior in the world of football and sport.”