Pep Guardiola is not hopeful the racism situation in Spain will improve after Vinícius Júnior was subjected to abuse during Real Madrid’s match at Valencia.
Vinícius threatened to leave the pitch after being targeted with monkey chants. Valencia were given a partial stadium ban for five matches, fined €45,000 (£39,000) and three people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Another four were detained in relation to an effigy of the forward being hung from a bridge in the Spanish capital this year.
Guardiola, asked whether La Liga should learn from the Premier League, said: “They should. Here they are so strict [on fighting racism]. They know what they have to do. This is a problem everywhere – thinking we are better than our neighbours, we are better than the other one.
“The problem is that there is racism everywhere. Not just for gender but for colour. Believing that our language is better than the other one, our country is better than the other one. We need to accept the diversity like a human being – but right now, we are far away from that. Hopefully we can get better in Spain but I’m not optimistic.
“There are a lot of black people stepping forward to defend what they should not [have to] defend.”
City visit Brentford in their final Premier League match before the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the Champions League final against Internazionale a week later in Istanbul. Guardiola has given his players two days off at the start of next week.
“In my experience the best way to play a final is to be disconnected as much as possible,” he said. “Go with your families, if the sun is shining, play golf, do whatever you want to prepare for the finals. You have to train [a little] but do exactly what we need to arrive in the best condition for the final.”
