LaLiga files legal complaint after Vinicius gets racially abused

Mallorca fans were filmed racially abusing the 22-year-old forward during Sunday’s win against the LaLiga holders, with the video published by streaming company DAZN on social media.

Vinicius Jr in action. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Spanish football league has filed a legal complaint to a Mallorca court after Real Madrid and Brazil player Vinicius Jr was racially abused by supporters in a match away to Real Mallorca, the organisation said on Tuesday.

Mallorca fans were filmed racially abusing the 22-year-old forward during Sunday’s win against the LaLiga holders, with the video published by streaming company DAZN on social media.

“LaLiga has forwarded all the information gathered, together with its complaint, both to the Court of Instruction in Palma de Mallorca, and to RCD Mallorca so that it can participate in the case,” said the statement.

It is the sixth complaint LaLiga has filed for racist chanting or insults against Vinicius.

Earlier on Tuesday, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said the abuse that has been directed at Vinicius is a problem for the whole of Spanish football.

“It seems that the problem is Vinicius, and it is not like that. It is a problem of Spanish football and it must be solved,” Ancelotti told a news conference in Rabat ahead of the Club World Cup semi-final against Egypt’s Al Ahly.

“The question I ask is this: Is it Vinicius or his team mates? What do his team mates have to defend Vinicius from? Vinicius is the victim of something that I don’t understand.”

Spanish police are also investigating a possible hate crime against the Brazilian after a mannequin wearing his No. 20 shirt was hung from a bridge in front of the club’s training ground ahead of the Madrid derby two weeks ago.

The mannequin was hung by the neck next to a banner in Atletico Madrid’s red and white colours that read “Madrid hates Real”.

Pele, Neymar and other leading Brazilian figures defended Vinicius in September after a panelist on a Spanish soccer show compared his goal celebrations to that of a monkey, sparking an immediate backlash on social media.

Vinicius issued a video statement at the time in response to what he called a “xenophobic and racist” insult, saying he “won’t stop dancing” and that “the happiness of a black Brazilian being successful in Europe bothers” many people.