July 18 – Real Madrid say a Spanish court has given a suspended eight-month prison sentence to a person who racially abused Vinícius Júnior and Antonio Rudiger in the comments section of a popular Spanish sports news website.
The club said that the offender, whose name was not given and “acting under various pseudonyms on the digital forum of the Marca newspaper, directed serious racist attacks and insults against our players Vinicius Junior and Antonio Rudiger”.
The person also reportedly also used hateful language to denigrate Rudiger’s Islamic faith.
“The court ordered the accused to serve eight months in prison and not to participate in the above-mentioned forum for 20 months,” Real added.
Real Madrid pointed out that it was the second criminal conviction for racist insults against their players. On June 10, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months for racist insults targeting Vinicius in May 2023.
A prominent figure in the fight against racism in Spanish football, Vinicius has been targeted several times in recent years.
In January 2023, an effigy wearing a Vinicius shirt was found hanging from a bridge near the club’s training ground alongside a banner saying: ‘Madrid hates Real’.
In December, four Atletico Madrid fans were charged over the incident, with prosecutors pushing for jail terms of four years. No date has yet been set for a trial.
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