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Three football fans who racially abused Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior at a match in Valencia last year have each been sentenced to eight months in prison.
The background: La Liga, the Spanish league, said the conviction of the trio over an incident at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium on 21 May 2023 was the first for racist abuse at a football match in Spain.
All three were also given two-year stadium bans from any venue hosting La Liga matches, or games held under the jurisdiction of the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
The key quote: “Many asked me to ignore it, many others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just ‘play football’. But, as I’ve always said, I’m not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists.” – Vinícius Júnior
What else to know: Currently, La Liga can only bring the facts of a case to the relevant legal authorities and is unable to sanction clubs, fans or players for hateful conduct, racism or violent acts.
What happens next: La Liga president Javier Tebas said he demands “that Spanish legislation evolve to give La Liga sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism”.
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