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The mayor of Madrid has blasted Vinicius Jr for his comments on racism in Spain, calling on the Real Madrid forward to apologise because he “lives in one of the most open, welcoming and diverse cities in the world.”
Vinicius broke down in tears during a press conference in March, which saw him discuss the regular racist abuse he has received while playing in La Liga ahead of Brazil’s match with Spain. The division has logged sixteen incidents of racist abuse against the 23-year-old over two seasons, with three men sentenced to eight months in prison after investigation.
Speaking to CNN in an interview published last week, Vinicius made his feelings clear once more: if racism continues, Spain should be stripped of 2030 World Cup hosting duties.
“Until 2030, we have a lot of room to evolve,” said Vinicius. “I hope that Spain can evolve and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the colour of their skin. If by 2030 things don’t improve, I think we have to move the location [of the tournament], because if a player doesn’t feel comfortable and safe playing in a country where they can suffer racism it’s a bit difficult.”
Vinicius went on to clarify he is referring to pockets of Spanish spectators and was clear he didn’t think the entire country is racist.
“I believe and want to do everything to make things change, because there are many people in Spain, or even the majority, who are not racist, but there is a small group that ends up affecting the image of a country that is so nice to live in,” he said. “I love being here and I love playing for Real Madrid.”
Despite explaining his stance, Madrid mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida says the player should apologise for criticising a country that he believes largely doesn’t have an issue with racism.
“I hope he rectifies his statements immediately,” said the mayor. “We are all aware that there are racist episodes in society and that we have to work hard to put an end to them. It is unfair to Spain and to Madrid to say that we are a racist society.
“Vinicius has the vast majority of Spanish society on his side to fight racism. What we cannot do is stand by his side when he calls practically the entire Spanish society, and particularly Madrid society, racist because I cannot accept it.
“He should highlight the fact that he lives in one of the most open, welcoming and diverse cities in the world. If there is one thing that characterises Madrid, it is that no one is asked where they come from or where they are going. No one is excluded here. He should apologise.”
Vinicius actually spoke in slightly more positive terms than he previously had during his CNN interview. He acknowledged the work being done and that he can “see and feel the difference in Spain” after suffering high-profile abuse in front of the cameras.
UEFA’s three-step protocol to deal with racism during a match was established five years ago. The first step is to halt the game and address the situation over the stadium tannoy, while referees are allowed to stop the match for up to 10 minutes and have the teams leave the field of play in step two. The final step is total abandonment of the match.
Vinicius said he and the Madrid squad should have exited the pitch when he suffered abuse against Valencia last year. He also noted the team will show solidarity by doing exactly that if it happens again this season.
The brilliant forward currently sits alongside Jude Bellingham and Rodri as favourites for the Ballon d’Or after he contributed massively to Madrid’s treble-winning season, scoring 21 across La Liga and the Champions League.
He netted his first goal of the current campaign against Las Palmas last week and is beginning to form a sharp relationship with Kylian Mbappe, who joined on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
