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Vinícius Jr. breaks down in tears. The painful toll of the racism he faces with uncomfortable regularity when playing for Real Madrid is clear to see in his face.
That was back in April, when Vinícius was asked by reporters ahead of Brazil’s international against Spain about his ongoing fight against racism. He said it had reduced his desire to continue playing soccer.
The racist incidents directed towards him in Spain include an effigy of the Brazilian being hanged from a bridge before his side’s clash against city rival Atlético Madrid in January 2023 and persistent racial abuse in a match against Valencia later that year.
Racist slurs have also been caught on camera during Real’s matches at Osasuna, Mallorca, Real Valladolid and Barcelona.
Fast-forward five months and Vinícius is rewatching footage of that emotional press conference. He says opening up was a struggle, but something that he felt was necessary.
“Talking about racism is always very difficult because in the last season here in Madrid, it happened to me a lot – and it’s not even close to what normal people suffer in the streets,” he tells CNN Senior Sport Analyst Darren Lewis. “And I always think about that.
“So that interview was very important not only for me, but for all the people who trust me and give me a lot of strength so I can keep fighting for all Black people who suffer daily.
“Each day, I have more strength and more wisdom to be able to talk about it and to be able to be – not a shield – but someone who will defend them every time I am able to talk about racism, about all those people who suffer a lot across the world.”
Vinícius says he is encouraged that progress is being made in the fight against racism. “Today,” he says, “I already see and feel the difference in Spain.
“Today – maybe [some fans] are still racists – but nowadays they are afraid to express themselves in the football field, and in places where there are a lot of cameras.
“And with that we will reduce racism, little by little. Of course, we won’t be able to end it, but I’m already happy that I’m being able to change Spain’s mindset.”
In June, a court in Valencia made history by ordering eight-month prison sentences for three men who made racist remarks and gestures toward Vinícius at a La Liga match against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium in May 2023.
La Liga said it was “the first conviction of its kind to be handed down in Spain.”
The convicted men will also face two-year stadium bans for all Spanish soccer matches and have been ordered to pay court costs associated with the case.
“In the last few months, there were three people who were jailed for insulting me in one of the matches, and that’s something that will always be stamped in history,” he says.
“Because it was the first time, and each time they do it again, it will be possible to make them pay for making Black people suffer.”
Walking off
In 2019, UEFA approved its three-step protocol to help referees deal with racism from the stands during matches.
The first step is to pause the game if there is racist behavior and ask over the public speaker system for it to stop. If it continues, step two is implemented and the referee can stop the game for up to 10 minutes and send the teams back into the changing rooms.
Step three is to abandon the match completely.
At times, though, certain teams have taken matters into their own hands and walked off the pitch. With hindsight, the team perhaps should have walked off during the match against Valencia, Vinícius says, but it is something they are willing to do this season.
“In the club, we talk about it more often,” he says. “Not just me, but all players said that if that happens, the next time everyone has to leave the field so that all of those people who insulted us have to pay a much bigger penalty.
“In the case of what happened in Valencia, after the game – after we thought about it – everyone said that the right thing to do is to leave the field, but because you are there defending a team, we know that not everyone in the stadium is racist and were just there to watch the game.
“It’s always very difficult to end a game, but with everything that’s been happening, that each time is getting worse, we do need to leave the field so things can change as soon as possible.”