Vinicius Junior reduced to tears talking about racism – “Every day I want to play football less”
Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior she could not hold back her tears as she addressed the racial abuse she has suffered in recent years. Brazil will face Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu in a friendly match that was organized after racial abuse last season, under the slogan “una pelle”.
Before he took to the stand, his teammate Dani Carvajal had taken to the stand to declare that Spain is not a racist country, stating that the fans use insults that they believe will be more hurtful towards the players.
Vinicius broke down in tears a matter of five minutes into his press conference.
“It's something very sad, it's something that happens here in every game, every day. Every legal complaint makes me very sad. But like all black people in the world. It's something sad. This is something that happens. Not only in Spain but also in the whole world… It also happened to my father, they chose a white man over a black man. It's something I noticed, and I fight because they chose me… I fight for that In the near future it will not happen to anyone else.”
#vinijr struggles to contain himself as he addresses the racial abuse he has endured. pic.twitter.com/qGO7uWOQkQ
— Football Spain (@footballespana_) March 25, 2024
“I feel supported by my teammates and the players. I hope and want racism to decrease. The only thing left to do is work and continue on the path already started. The players send me messages of support. I have to improve on the pitch. I'm still only 23 years old and it's a natural progression… I leave Brazil very young without having learned many things.
Asked about an incident recorded at Barcelona that went unpunished, Vinicius said that was what frustrated him the most.
“The lack of punishment is what frustrates me every day. It would be significant to be punished (harshly). People would be afraid and so the children would be told that they should not do it.
Vinicius also called on the authorities in Spain to bring harsher punishments.
“Every legal complaint I make seems to get worse. I'm not fighting against Spain fans, I'm fighting against racism in the world. I've talked to many people who wanted to help me… There will be people who they talk good about me, and they talk bad about me. But I have to get used to that. I always think of helping all the organizations to fight racism. I talked with UEFA, with FIFA, with the League and it's true that they improve, and they work, but it is also complicated, because racism is not a crime. The defense against racism is not strong enough to fight. Few people know what we went through with the racists.”
The 23-year-old admitted he had thought about leaving Real Madrid, but had decided it would have been a victory for the racists, and that it was better to move on,
“I never thought much about leaving here… Because if I leave here, I will give the racists what they want. I want to continue here, in the best club in the world, so that they continue to see my face. I continue to evolve to continue doing these things, to be the joy of all the people who go to the stadium. Racists are a minority, and it does not always happen. But since I am bold, I am from Madrid, the best club of the world. It's difficult. But I have to continue, because the president supports me, the club supports me… If I stop, it will be the triumph of the racist.
“I am sure that Spain is not a racist country, but there are many racists in Spain, and many of them are in the stands. And this is difficult. I have to explain what racism really is to many Spaniards, and how m 'affecta. Let my family end up sad in their home.”
“I can play badly, but there are other ways to say that. I want to go to all the stadiums in Spain with the peace of mind knowing that I will not be judged for the color of my skin.”
Hate speech is a crime in Spain, and those found guilty can be charged with 1 to 4 years in prison, and a fine of 6-12 months of their income for being found to promote hatred against a certain group in public. Those who “hurt the dignity” of a person through hate speech can be imprisoned from 6 months to 2 years, and also receive a fine of 6 months to one year of income.
Of course, Vinicius' words are probably more related to the sense of impunity caused by these incidents that went unpunished, essentially rendering the law superfluous. Numerous incidents have been brought through the legal system, with few results in prison.
