May 23, 2023, 3:36 PM
May 23, 2023, 3:36 PM
Become one of the most lethal strikers in the Spanish LaLiga on the fieldthe fight against racism of Real Madrid striker Vinicius Júnior He has also achieved a global impact off the pitch.
The Brazilian, 22 years old, has garnered global support after having stood up against the racist insults thrown at him on Sunday by Valencia fans at the Mestalla.
Vinicius did not hesitate to confront the local fans, pointing out especially to one of them who had called him “monkey”, before writing on his networks after the game that “racism is normal in the League”.
the brazilian published several messages condemning the continuous insults he receives, attracting international attention to his complaints.
Vinicius’ rise in the last two seasons has been meteoric, living up to the expectations generated since his arrival from Flamengo in 2018 for 46 million euros (about 50 million dollars).
Born in Sao Gonçalo, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior it didn’t take long for him to attract attention as a young talent that combined rare ability with explosive speed, which led him to be the youngest player, at that time, to debut with his club, at the age of 16.
The white team then launched for his signature, reaching an agreement in 2017 for his future arrival, taking good note of the success achieved years before for Barça with Neymar.
When the great star of Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, went to Juventus after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Vinicius was called to try to fill his holebut the young Brazilian, then 18, was slow to find consistency.
With just 14 goals in his 118 appearances in his first three seasons, ‘Vini’s’ erratic finishings became the object of ridicule for his rivals.
But in the 2021-22 season, with the veteran Carlo Ancelotti back to Madrid, Vinicius drastically improved his performance, with 22 goals, including the one that gave his team victory against Liverpool in the Champions League final.
The evolution of the Brazilian continued this seasonwhere he already has 23 goals in his account.
“When he arrived with us, especially in the first stage, he had tremendous pressure, he was meme meat, that if he didn’t put it in, that he did a lot of dribbling but he didn’t finish… So young to receive such criticism…“Recalled his partner Dani Carvajal in May.
“He got over it and now he is among the three or four best in the worldIt is something that I have seen very little. Everything he is now has been more than earned,” she added.
Vinicius’ performance grew accompanied, however, by insults in many rival stadiums. The situation reached a critical point on Sunday in Valencia, after which Ancelotti called for “drastic measures” against racism.
The Brazilian’s decision to confront the fans attracted the world spotlight on racism in Spanish stadiums, denounced for years by players and anti-racist associations, who consider that the problem has never been taken seriously.
Pointed directly, LaLiga defended itself by indicating that it does not have enough sanctioning power. The competition claims to have transmitted eight complaints this season due to attacks against Vinicius that, for the most part, have not generated notable consequences so far.
This Tuesday, Spanish police arrested three young men in Valencia suspected of “racist conduct” during the match, and four other individuals were arrested in Madrid, suspected of having hung a doll with Vinicius’ shirt in January on a bridge in the capital
Racist behavior in Spanish stadiums is not new and former FC Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o -a recurring victim of insults in the past decade- has already warned that they were spreading in Spain. “I don’t play anymore!” He came to say enough of those of the disqualifications during a duel against Zaragoza in 2006, although he later reconsidered his decision.
Years later the Brazilian side Dani Alves ate a banana thrown onto the field in 2014 and more recently, Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams was screamed like a monkey when he was substituted in the Espanyol field.
The Basque striker had already been a victim of racist insults in Gijón in 2016 and the referee had briefly interrupted the match.
Although Vinicius’s challenge seems to have triggered an unprecedented chain of reactions.
“Institutions have an opportunity, especially now, to take radical measures on this important issue,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insisted on Tuesday.
