“Of course I understand” – Raphinha stands with Vinicius Junior on the response to racist abuse

Last weekend's Clasico match, which was won 4-0 by Barcelona, ​​was marked by the latest case of racist abuse in Spanish football. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Ansu Fati were reported to have been targeted by a small number of Real Madrid supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu, and the matter is now being investigated.

Speaking to The CountryRaphinha recounted his experience of the incident, and also explained why he and his Barcelona teammates did not report being abused at the time.

“We have already spoken, each person is different. Of course it bothers you, we do our job. We know that the fans of the other team can try to do everything so that things do not go well for you and that has to be concentrate, but when they insult you, it's more complicated. I spoke to Ansu (Fati) and he was more angry. With Lamine, we heard them say things, but we didn't understand exactly what they were telling us. But Ansu understood. After the game, we saw the videos and that's when we understood what they told us.”

Vinicius Junior has often been the target of racist abuse, and his response to this has often received backlash. Raphinha came to the defense of his international partner.

“Of course I understand. We don't know what happened in his childhood. We don't know the things he heard when he was little. These things push people to their limit and it bothers him a lot. Vinicius he is a very smiling boy, he always makes jokes. The only problem is that I understand his anger. But I am not in his situation, so I cannot tell him what he would do instead.”

It is clear that these cases of racism must be eradicated, and more must be done to address the problem. It's not just a matter of Real Madridthat his fans were the perpetrators on this occasion, but also the rest of Spanish football.