A life-size doll wearing the shirt of Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Jr. was found hung off a bridge in Madrid early Thursday morning, just hours before a game between archrivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
Real hosted Atletico for a quarterfinal game for the annual Copa del Rey tournament on Thursday. Real won, 3-1 and Vinicius scored a goal. The mannequin was hung in front of Real Madrid’s training facility next to a flag that read “Madrid hates Real.”
The 22-year-old player, who is Black, became a Real Madrid hero last year after scoring the game’s sole goal in the Champions League final against Liverpool. He is considered one of the best wingers in the world.
He also scored for the Brazilian national team in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the team’s 4-1 win against South Korea in the round of 16 on Dec. 5.
Atletico Madrid officials were quick to speak out against the “repugnant and inadmissible acts” likely enacted by its supporters.
“The rivalry between the two clubs is the greatest, but so is respect,” the team said in a statement. “No individual, whatever their intentions or colors, can tarnish the coexistence between different supporters. It is everyone’s responsibility to avoid this.”
The mannequin and the banner have since been removed. No charges were filed, but local police are reportedly looking into the matter as a possible hate crime investigation.
Vinicius, who has been targeted by racist attacks in the past, was aware of the situation prior to the match.
“He will discuss the issue tomorrow with his club and legal staff but his position is still the same as before — he expects punishment from the authorities, not official statements,” a spokesperson for the player told Reuters.
In September, some Atletico fans yelled racist chants at Vinicius as he was entering a stadium before another match between the two Madrid teams. Vinicius attributed the hateful behavior as criticism of “the happiness of a black Brazilian in Europe,” the BBC reported.
