The Spanish league will report “lamentable racist chants” directed against Real Madrid striker Vinícius Júnior before Atletico Madrid’s Champions League match.
The Brazil international wants those responsible to face consequences. Vinícius posted a video of Atletico fans screaming “Vinícius chimpanzee” before their Champions League match against Inter Milan on Wednesday. The video of fans adding “Vinícius chimpanzee” to their traditional songs was first posted by the site Agente Libre Digital.
Espero que vocês já tenham pensado na punição deles. @ChampionsLeague 👍🏿 @UEFA 👍🏿 é uma triste realidade que passa até nos jogos que eu não estou presente! https://t.co/IDHAkG9H6S
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) March 14, 2024
“I hope you have already thought about their punishment,” Vinícius wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He tagged both the Champions League and the UEFA accounts. He also added, “It’s a sad reality that happens even in games where I’m not present!”
On Thursday, the Spanish league stated that it will report the incident to the Office of the Prosecutor for Hate Crimes. It stated that it would take action despite the fact that the chants occurred outside a stadium and during a different tournament.
The league stated it was “deeply committed to ensuring that football is a hate-free space and will continue to relentlessly pursue any acts of racism, homophobia, violence, hatred . . . regardless of the competition.”
Prior to Tuesday’s Champions League match between Barcelona and Napoli, there were also rumours of anti-Vinícius shouts.
Vinícius, a Black footballer, has faced taunts since his arrival in Spain six years ago.
