Real Madrid Star Vinicius Jr Calls For Imprisonment Of Racists In Support  Of Maignan 

Vinicius Jr., Real Madrid forward, has demanded more severe penalties for racist supporters after seeing insults directed at AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

The France No. 1 Maignan claimed hearing racist chanting from the opposition fans, causing a brief interruption to Milan’s Serie A match against Udinese on Saturday. Since then, the entire football community has stood with him; Gianni Infantino, Kylian Mbappe, and other players have shown their support.

READ ALSO: FIFA President Gianni Infantino Releases Statement Calling For Forfeits For Racism 

Brazilian winger Vinicius was the latest to back Maignan, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to weigh in on the incident. “‘Just talking won’t change anything.’ These are Maignan’s words,” he said. “It is time to imprison racists so that they are ashamed of who they are. I thank those who really support our struggle and I regret those who only appear with empty words to gain the sympathy of the press. Always with you, Maignan.”

Vinicus’ comments came after Maignan released a statement discussing the incident, which read: “It was not the player who was attacked. It’s the man. He’s the father of the family. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. And I’m not the first this has happened to. We issued press releases, advertising campaigns, protocols and nothing has changed. Today, an entire system must take responsibility:

⁃ The perpetrators of these acts, because it is easy to act in a group, in the anonymity of a platform.

⁃ The spectators who were in the stand, who saw everything, who heard everything but who chose to remain silent, you are complicit.

– The Udinese club, which only spoke of an interruption of the match, as if nothing had happened, you are complicit.

⁃ The authorities and the prosecutor, with everything that is happening, if you do nothing, YOU WILL ALSO BE COMPLICIT. I have already told you and if it bears repeating: I am not a VICTIM. And I want to say thank you to my club AC Milan, to my teammates, to the referee, to the Udinese players and to everyone who sent me messages, who called me, who supported privately and publicly. I can’t answer everyone but I see you and we are TOGETHER.

“It is a difficult fight, which will take time and courage. But it’s a fight we will win.”

Over the course of his Madrid career, Vinicius has frequently been the target of egregious racial taunts. Last season, a number of Valencia supporters made derogatory gestures towards the winger during the second half of a La Liga match, aimed at him. An alleged attack on Vinicius led to the ejection of a Sevilla fan from a domestic match versus Los Blancos earlier this season.

Following his designation as a United Nations Human Rights champion in December, the Madrid player reaffirmed his commitment to fighting for equality both on and off the court. He will still be available for action on the pitch when Los Blancos plays Las Palmas on Saturday.