Real Socieded Fan Caught on Camera Making Racist Gestures at Vinicius: “This Has to Stop”
- Vinicius Junior was at the centre of yet another racial abuse during Real Madrid's Copa del Rey clash with Real Sociedad
- The Brazilian forward has been the target of many unruly supporters who seek to taunt him in matches
- Despite the scene marring Madrid's win, Vinicius attained the landmark of captaining Los Blancos for the first time
Real Madrid’s narrow 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg was overshadowed by yet another disturbing case of racism directed at Vinicius Junior.
During the heated contest on Wednesday night, a Sociedad supporter was caught on camera appearing to make monkey gestures at the Brazilian winger, reigniting discussions about the persistent issue of racial abuse in Spanish football.
Source: Getty Images
What happened?
The match itself, decided by a first-half strike from rising star Endrick, saw its intensity disrupted just before halftime when offensive chants were directed at Madrid’s young centre-back, Raul Asencio, as noted by Al Jazeera.
The game momentarily came to a halt after shouts of "Asencio die" echoed from the stands, prompting Vinicius, who captained Los Blancos for the first time, to approach the referee and report the incident in accordance with match protocols.
Source: Getty Images
This was the latest in a series of stadium-wide taunts targeting Asencio, who is currently under investigation by a Spanish court over allegations involving a sensually explicit video of a minor, per ESPN.
Despite the unsettling situation, the game resumed, but it wasn’t long before another unsavoury incident surfaced.
Fan caught making racist gestures at Vinicius
A video that quickly circulated on social media showed a Sociedad supporter engaging in racist behaviour towards Vinicius while the match was temporarily halted.
The individual, identifiable by a club-themed winter scarf, was seen making monkey gestures in an attempt to mock the 24-year-old attacker.
Real Sociedad reacted swiftly, displaying a message on the stadium's big screen condemning racism, xenophobia, and intolerance while urging fans to support their team with respect.
However, for many, the response felt insufficient given the gravity of the offence.
Social media outrage
The incident drew immediate condemnation from football fans online, with many calling for severe action against the perpetrator:
@Maalafaaakv wrote:
"That isn't banter, that is just pure hatred."
@arcoffootball condemned the fan and called for his arrest:
"That's disgraceful. He should be arrested for that."
@sj_pep47683 also demanded:
"Someone arrest the clown."
Vinicius' ordeal with racism in Spain
This latest act of racism adds to a growing list of incidents Vinicius has endured since moving to Spain.
Just last October, authorities detained four individuals for launching an online hate campaign against him.
Additionally, in a landmark case last year, three Valencia fans received eight-month prison sentences for racially abusing the forward during a La Liga fixture—marking the first-ever convictions for racist behaviour in a Spanish stadium, France24 reports.
Despite these legal actions, racist abuse remains a recurring issue in Spanish football, with Vinicius often at the centre of the storm.
While La Liga and its clubs continue to issue statements denouncing such acts, the effectiveness of these measures remains questionable.
Will Vinicius leave Real Madrid?
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Vinicius Jr revealed the only club he would leave Real Madrid for.
Despite strong interest from Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian remains committed to Madrid.
However, he admitted that if he ever departs, his only destination would be his boyhood club, Flamengo.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
