By Euronews en español
Published on
Five people have been given suspended prison sentences for racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a match in what was described as a landmark hate crime ruling in Spain.
Brazil international Vinicius was verbally abused by fans on 30 December 2022 after being substituted during a game between Real Madrid and Real Valladolid at the latter side’s Jose Zorrilla stadium.
The five offenders — who have not been named — were sentenced by the Valladolid Provincial Court to a year in prison and fines ranging from €1,080 to €1,620.
However, the prison sentences were suspended on condition that the individuals do not commit any offence within three years or attend any football matches during that period.
LaLiga said the “exemplary ruling” was the first in Spain to classify racist abuse in a football stadium as a hate crime.
“This judicial decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain, where, until now, rulings had addressed conduct against moral integrity with a racial aggravating factor,” LaLiga said in a statement.
“The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football.”
Last June, three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Vinicius in the first ever conviction for racism-related cases in professional football in Spain.
The fans, who were not identified, were detained after a match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The match was briefly stopped after Vinicius was insulted.
That incident sparked an outpouring of support for Vinicius and set off widespread calls for action by Spanish authorities and society in general.
In Spain, prison sentences of less than two years for non-violent crimes rarely result in jal time for defendants without prior convictions.
