Real Madrid File Vinicius Hate Crime Complaint Against Atletico & Barca

Following racist shouts directed towards Vinicius Jr. by Atletico Madrid and Barcelona supporters, Real Madrid lodged a complaint with the Official State Prosecutor.

Unsettling social media footage of supporters hurling racist epithets, including as dubbing Vinicius Jr. a “chimpanzee,” surfaced before Atletico’s Champions League encounter. The disgusting conduct was not limited to a single event; in fact, the cries were heard again during the Copa del Rey round of 16 match between Real Madrid and Atletico, underscoring the issue’s enduring character.

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Moreover, Barcelona supporters were also linked to the racist outburst; sources state that some of them yelled “Vinícius, die” in front of the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companies before their team’s Champions League matchup with Napoli.

Real Madrid put out an official statement that read: “Real Madrid CF has filed a complaint with the Official State Prosecutor over hate and discrimination offences relating to the racist and hateful abuse aimed at our player Vinicius Junior in the areas surrounding the Montjuic Olympic Stadium and the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, ahead of the FC Barcelona-Napoli and Atletico de Madrid-Inter Milan Champions League fixtures.

“Real Madrid calls on Prosecutors to request the recordings available from both locations from the security forces in order to identify the perpetrators of the abuse. Real Madrid condemns these violent attacks of racism, discrimination and hate against our player Vinicius Junior, which have sadly been a recurrent and ongoing concern for some time. Our club will continue working hard to uphold the values of football and sport as a whole, and will remain steadfast in the fight for a zero-tolerance approach to the types of despicable incidents we have seen on multiple occasions in recent times.”

La Liga has emphasised the seriousness of the situation by pledging to report the incident to the prosecutor’s office that specialises in hate crimes, despite the chanting outside the stadium.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid praised the team’s zero-tolerance policy for racism and stressed the significance of acting swiftly to stop such despicable behaviour.

“The problem is there. Valencia acted well after this [Valencia vs. Real Madrid] episode,” he said. “When you talk about zero tolerance it is zero tolerance for us and for everyone else. It’s necessary to act to avoid these problems and ugly episodes that affect everyone, that affect our society. Criminals should not be on the street.”

Vinicius Jr. has also called upon UEFA to take stringent measures against the perpetrators.

The Brazil international wrote on social media: “I hope you have already thought about their punishment @ChampionsLeague @UEFA it’s a sad reality that this even happens in games where I’m not present!”

Real Madrid’s initiative and the player’s appeal for action highlight how urgently clubs and regulatory agencies must work together to eradicate racism and create a welcoming environment for all those who participate in the beautiful game. On Saturday, Vinicius will play again in a La Liga match against Osasuna.