From Lula da Silva to Gianni Infantino: the signs of support Vinicius received after the racist chants against him in Valencia

The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvaand the FIFA title, Gianni Infantinowere some of the personalities who publicly expressed their support for the Brazilian footballer of Real Madrid, VInitius Jr.Who received racist songs by the Valencia fans before and during the match played this Sunday at the Mestalla, from the Spanish league.

“He’s been attacked. It has been called ‘monkey,'” Lula said at a press conference following the closing of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Furthermore, he indicated that “it is not possible, in the mid-21st century, to have such strong racial prejudice in many football stadiums”. “It is not fair that a poor boy who has done so well in life, who will perhaps become the best in the world, certainly the best in Real Madrid, should be insulted in every stadium where he plays,” questioned the president.

In parallel, Lula has called on FIFA and the Spanish League to take “serious measures” to combat these kinds of incidents. “We cannot allow fascism and racism to take over football stadiums,” the Brazilian president asked.

Several of his ministers have also supported Vinicius and criticized the Spanish League, whose president, Javier Tebas, accused Vinicius of not showing up for two meetings he would have requested of that body to deal with the xenophobia problem.

For his part, the Brazilian Minister of Human Rights, Silvio Almeida, stated that “the conduct of the Spanish authorities and of the bodies that govern their football it is criminal”.

“It shows an undeniable acceptance of racism,” Almeida said. Vinicio: “I’ll be on your side to hold those who attack you accountable, but also those who step aside,” he wrote on Twitter.

Flamengo, the club where Vinícius started his career, released a statement saying: “It is even more shocking to know that it is not the first time and that very little was done to fight (racism in the Spanish league) and prevent it from happening again.” Other Brazilian clubs have made similar statements.

Gianni Infantino: “All our solidarity with Vinicio”

Even the president of Fifa, the Swiss Gianni Infantino, has sent his support to Vinicius Jr. “All our solidarity with Vinicius. There is no place for racism in football or in society, and Fifa supports all the players who have suffered it firsthand”.

“The events that took place during the match between Valencia and Real Madrid demonstrate how crucial this fight is,” added the top leader of world football in a message posted on his social networks.

Furthermore, in his message, Infantino recalled that for this “there is a three-stage process in FIFA competitions and it is recommended that it be used at all levels of football”.

“Firstly, play is stopped and announced. Secondly, the players leave the playing field and the announcer says that if the attacks continue, the game will be abandoned. Play is resumed, and thirdly, if the attacks continue, the match will stop and the three points will go to the opponent, these are the rules that should be applied in all countries and in all leagues,” he explained.

Finally, he admitted: “Obviously it’s easier said than done, but we have to do it and we have to support it through education.”

Vinícius Junior, the crack that is harassed with kicks and racism

This kind of attitudes towards the Brazilian like the ones he suffered this Sunday in Valencia they are not newbut they have been accentuated in recent times.

For example, on December 30, during a match against Valladolid for the 15th round of the championship, the Brazilian national footballer was substituted three minutes from the end. When I was walking to the shore near the north head of the José Zorrila, rHe got slurs like “black bastard” and “black shit”.

Three months earlier, when the Real Madrid team bus was arriving at the Estadio Metropolitano for a classic match against Atlético, the striker was greeted by a group of 500 screaming fans “You are a monkey, Vinícius, you are a monkey”the same reprehensible song he heard this Sunday when he arrived in Mestalla.

Vinicius, who ended up getting the red card against Valencia for hitting Hugo Duro with a blow, reacted in his goals at the end of the game and ensured that “the prize” that “the racists took” was his expulsion .

“The prize the racists received was my expulsion. It’s not football, it’s La Liga,” he shared in a story on his official Instagram account.

A few minutes later he wrote: “(Spain is) a beautiful nation, which has welcomed me and the person I love, but which has agreed to export to the world the image of a racist country”.

“I’m sorry for the Spaniards who disagree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. And unfortunately, despite everything that happens every week, I have no way to defend it. I agree “, he continued.

And he concluded: “It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition considers it normal, even the Federation and its rivals encourage it. I am very sorry. The league that once it belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi now it belongs to the racists.”

Valencia, for its part, have announced that they have singled out two fans suspected of having racially abused the Real Madrid winger after seeing the images from the security cameras and confirmed their intention to go “all the way” against these fans.

With information from agencies.

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