Real Madrid lodge hate crime complaint after Vinicius Jr targeted with racist abuse during Valencia match
Real Madrid have lodged a hate crime complaint with Spanish prosecutors after Vinicius Junior was targeted with racist abuse during their away tie against Valencia.
Madrid’s match against Valencia was paused on Sunday night after the half-time break as the 22-year-old Brazilian pointed out supporters who were taunting him to the referee.
Vinicius, who has been racially abused from the stands several times this season, was enraged, prompting teammates and opposition players to try to calm him down at Valencia’s Mestalla ground.
The Brazilian was later sent off for violent conduct in added time of his side’s 1-0 defeat following an altercation with Valencia striker Hugo Duro – the first red card of his career.
French striker Kylian Mbappe has led the messages of support for Vinicius.
He wrote in a post wrote on Instagram: “You are not alone. We are with you and we support you.”
The 24-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star was targeted with racist abuse himself after France lost to Argentina in the World Cup final last year.
Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior imitates the abuse directed towards him by a fan
His message of support came after former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, an anti-racism campaigner, posted on Instagram: “(Vinicius) receives a red card after being choked and receiving racial abuse during the game.
“How many times do we need to see this young man subjected to this s***?? I see pain, I see disgust, I see him needing help… and the authorities don’t do s*** to help him.
“People need to stand together and demand more from the authorities that run our game.
“No one deserves this yet you are allowing it.
“There needs to be a unified approach to this otherwise it will be swept under the carpet AGAIN.”
Vinicius Junior gestures towards a fan after witnessing abuse
In reference to Vinicius Jr receiving a red card, Match Of The Day presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: “Once again, the player being abused is the only person to be punished.”
FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino also expressed his support for Vinicius and said in a statement: “Full solidarity to Vinicius. There is no place for racism in football or in society and FIFA stands by all players who have found themselves in such a situation.”
In a statement on Instagram after the match, Vinicius had referenced the previous instances of racist abuse and accused Spain’s footballing authorities of not doing enough.
“It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in La Liga,” he said.
“The competition thinks it’s normal, so does the Federation and the opponents encourage it. I am so sorry.”
‘La Liga belongs to the racists’
Vinicius said the Spanish league, that once “belonged” to star players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, now “belongs to the racists”.
“Sorry for the Spaniards who do not agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists,” he added.
“And unfortunately, with everything that happens on a weekly basis, I have no way to defend. I agree.”
Meanwhile, La Liga president Javier Tebas accused Vinicius of twice not turning up for meetings to discuss what can be done “in cases of racism”.
Mr Tebas wrote: “Before criticising and insulting La Liga it is necessary that you inform yourself properly Vinicius Jr.”
Vinicius hit back and said: “Once again, instead of criticising racists, the president of La Liga appears on social media to attack me.”
He added that he wants “actions and punishments” for people who make racist chants.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti had earlier backed his player after the match, saying La Liga “has a problem” with racism.
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Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva: ‘We can’t allow racism to become part of life at a soccer stadium’
The Italian said the referee should have stopped the match due to the “unacceptable” chanting directed at Vinicius.
“It’s the entire stadium that is insulting a player with racist chants, and the match has to stop,” he added.
Mr Ancelotti also tweeted: “Today has been a sad day at Mestalla, where a group of fans have shown their worst version.
“It is time to stop talking and act forcefully. Racism cannot have a place in football or in society. NO TO RACISM ANYWHERE.”
However, Valencia director Javier Solis said Mr Ancelotti was wrong to blame the abuse on all fans.
He said: “In light of the unfortunate and completely incorrect statements by Mr Ancelotti, in which he branded all of the fans in Mestalla as racist, the club cannot tolerate this.
“We reject these complaints head-on. Possibly it is a result of a mistake in the language and he must have understood another word as being said.
“The club condemn any kind of racist insults and are working to identify the people who allegedly made a gesture or action, but calling all the Valencia CF fans racist is nonsense and the club cannot remain silent.”
Meanwhile, Luis Rubiales, the head of Spain’s national football federation the RFEF, has said the country has a problem with racism.
Kylian Mbappe was subjected to racist abuse after France lost the World Cup final
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva is among those who condemned Sunday’s treatment of Vinicius.
Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan, he called on FIFA and La Liga to “take measures so we don’t allow racism and fascism to take over” the sport.
The president said Vinicius, widely considered one of the best young players in the world, was being “insulted in every stadium he goes to”.
Club vows investigation
La Liga has released its own statement, saying it had been “fighting against this kind of behaviour for years”.
Valencia also posted a statement on their club website, pledging it would investigate what happened and “take the most severe measures”.
“Valencia CF wishes to publicly condemn any type of insult, attack or disqualification in football,” it added.
Some 46,000 supporters were in attendance for Sunday’s match, which saw Valencia move up to 13th in the league table and Madrid remain third – 14 points behind arch-rivals and champions Barcelona.
Diego Lopez got the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute for the home side.
US president-elect Donald Trump has suggested Israel and Hamas could agree a Gaza ceasefire by the end of the week.
Talks between Israeli and Hamas representatives resumed in the Qatari capital Doha yesterday, after US President Joe Biden indicated a deal to stop the fighting was “on the brink” on Monday.
A draft agreement has been sent to both sides. It includes provisions for the release of hostages and a phased Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.
Qatar says Israel and Hamas are at their “closest point” yet to a ceasefire deal.
Two Hamas officials said the group has accepted the draft agreement, with Israel still considering the deal.
An Israeli official said a deal is close but “we are not there” yet.
More than 46,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its ground offensive in the aftermath of the 7 October attacks, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Read more:
What’s in the proposed deal?
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on beachfront cafe in Deir al Balah. Pic: Reuters
Biden hails possibility of agreement
President Biden said it would include a hostage release deal and a “surge” of aid to Palestinians, in his final foreign policy speech as president.
“So many innocent people have been killed, so many communities have been destroyed. Palestinian people deserve peace,” he said.
“The deal would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to Israel, and allow us to significantly surge humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians who suffered terribly in this war that Hamas started.”
Qatari mediators have sent Israel and Hamas a draft proposal for an agreement to halt the fighting.
Analysis:
Deal might be close, but there are many unanswered questions
Pic: Reuters
Trump: ‘We’re very close’
President-elect Donald Trump has also discussed a possible peace deal during a phone interview with the Newsmax channel.
“We’re very close to getting it done and they have to get it done,” he said.
“If they don’t get it done, there’s going to be a lot of trouble out there, a lot of trouble, like they have never seen before.
“And they will get it done. And I understand there’s been a handshake and they’re getting it finished and maybe by the end of the week. But it has to take place, it has to take place.”
Read more:
Pope Francis honoured by Joe Biden
Donald Trump’s inauguration 2.0
Pic: AP
Israeli official: Former Hamas leader held up deal
Speaking on Tuesday as negotiations resumed in Qatar, an anonymous Israeli official said that an agreement was “close, but we are not there”.
They accused Hamas of previously “dictating, not negotiating” but said this has changed in the last few weeks.
“Yahya Sinwar was the main obstacle for a deal,” they added.
Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind of the 7 October attacks, led Hamas following the assassination of his predecessor but was himself killed in October last year.
Under Sinwar, the Israeli official claimed, Hamas was “not in a rush” to bring a hostage deal but this has changed since his death and since the IDF “started to dismantle the Shia axis”.
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Biden: ‘Never, never, never, ever give up’
Iran ‘weaker than it’s been in decades’
Yesterday, President Biden also hailed Washington’s support for Israel during two Iranian attacks in 2024.
“All told, Iran is weaker than it’s been in decades,” the president said.
Mr Biden claimed America’s adversaries were weaker than when he took office four years ago and that the US was “winning the worldwide competition”.
“Compared to four years ago, America is stronger, our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are
weaker,” he said.
“We have not gone to war to make these things happen.”
The US president is expected to give a farewell address on Wednesday.
A draft ceasefire deal on the table between Israel and Hamas would see 33 hostages set free and a phased withdrawal of IDF forces from parts of Gaza.
President Joe Biden said an agreement to stop the fighting was “on the brink” and high level negotiations between the two sides resumed in Qatar on Tuesday.
The deal would see a number of things happen in a first stage, with negotiations for the second stage beginning in the third week of the ceasefire.
It would also allow a surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been devastated by more than a year of war.
Details of what the draft proposal entails have been emerging on Tuesday, reported by Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages hold photos of their loved ones during a protest on 8 January. Pic: AP
Hostages to be returned
In the first stage of the potential ceasefire, 33 hostages would be set free.
These include women (including female soldiers), children, men over the age of 50, wounded and sick.
Israel believes most of these hostages are alive but there has not been any official confirmation from Hamas.
In return for the release of the hostages, Israel would free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
People serving long sentences for deadly attacks would be included in this but Hamas fighters who took part in the 7 October attack would not be released.
An arrangement to prevent Palestinian “terrorists” from going back to the West Bank would be included in the deal, an anonymous Israeli official said.
Read more:
A timeline of events since the 7 October attacks
The hostages who still haven’t returned home
Smoke billows as buildings lie in ruin in Beit Hanoun in Gaza. Pic: Reuters
Phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
The agreement also includes a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, with IDF troops remaining in the border perimeter to defend Israeli border towns and villages.
Security arrangements would be implemented at the Philadelphi corridor – a narrow strip of land that runs along the border between Egypt and Gaza – with Israel withdrawing from parts of it after the first few days of the deal.
The Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza would start to work gradually to allow the crossing of people who are sick and other humanitarian cases out of Gaza for treatment.
Unarmed North Gaza residents would be allowed to return to their homes, with a mechanism introduced to ensure no weapons are moved there.
“We will not leave the Gaza Strip until all our hostages are back home,” the Israeli official said.
What will happen to Gaza in the future?
There is less detail about the future of Gaza – from how it will be governed, to any guarantees that this agreement will bring a permanent end to the war.
“The only thing that can answer for now is that we are ready for a ceasefire,” the Israeli official said.
“This is a long ceasefire and the deal that is being discussed right now is for a long one. There is a big price for releasing the hostages and we are ready to pay this price.”
The international community has said Gaza must be run by Palestinians, but there has not been a consensus about how this should be done – and the draft ceasefire agreement does not seem to address this either.
In the past, Israel has said it will not end the war leaving Hamas in power. It also previously rejected the possibility of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited governing powers in the West Bank, from taking over the administration of Gaza.
Since the beginning of its military campaign in Gaza, Israel has also said it would retain security control over the territory after the fighting ends.
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