Brazil international Vinicius Jr has called on UEFA, European football’s governing body, to take decisive action against racism following an incident during the Atletico Madrid vs Inter Milan Champions League match on Wednesday.
Responding to a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing Atletico Madrid fans chanting racist remarks before the game, the Real Madrid star expressed his disappointment. “I hope UEFA has already considered their punishment,” Vinicius stated, emphasizing the unfortunate reality of racism even in matches where he is not directly involved.
In his post, the 23-year-old tagged the accounts of UEFA and the Champions League. La Liga also issued a statement pledging to report the incident, regardless of the match being played in a different competition and the chants occurring outside the stadium. The league reiterated its commitment to combat racism, homophobia, violence, and hatred in football.
Vinicius has been subjected to racial abuse multiple times in Spain over the past few years. Incidents include chants directed at him during Real’s derby match against Atletico in September 2022, for which Atletico condemned the behaviour.
In June, individuals were fined and banned from stadiums for racist gestures and hanging an effigy of Vinicius near Real’s training ground. This season, reports of racial abuse towards Vinicius emerged during matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, and Valencia.
