Spanish court hands down first conviction for racism in LaLiga

Spain and LaLiga are finally handing out tangible punishments to supporters found guilty of racism. Racist incidents are still rampant in Spain, with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior facing the brunt of the issue. As the Brazilian has continued to dominate in Spain, unruly fans of rival clubs have resorted to racism to vent their frustrations.

LaLiga filed a complaint to Spanish courts stemming from an incident on May 21, 2023. Valencia supporters at the Mestalla Stadium heckled Vinicius. In that game last season, Vinicius picked up a direct red card, the first instance of his career. At the time, Valencia players pestered Vinicius, with the crowd egging on the winger. Unfortunately, any form of banter developed into disgusting remarks that targeted Vinicius’s skin color.

Despite LaLiga saying it would work to find the culprits and establish clear punishments, nothing came. Instead, racism persisted. In the most recent campaign, Vinicius unfortunately became the face of battling racism in LaLiga. At times, he even threatened to retire because the issue was so bad in Spain. Now, though, complaints from LaLiga have led to tangible results.

On Monday, Spanish courts handed three Valencia supporters a prison sentence of eight months with additional bans for soccer stadiums in Spain. Valencia and the Mestalla Stadium fully complied with the investigation that found the three supporters guilty.

“This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way to redressing the disgraceful wrong suffered by Vinicius Jr. and sends a clear message to those individuals who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. LALIGA will identify them, report them, and there will be criminal consequences,” said LaLiga President Javier Tebas.

Precedent set for racism in LaLiga

The three convictions against fans who were at the Mestalla that day send a message to the rest of Spain. Any fans performing some sort of racist act at a game can…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/spanish-court-hands-down-first-conviction-for-racism-in-laliga/

Author : Kyle Fansler

Publish date : 2024-06-10 21:48:13

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