Atletico fans hang a dummy of Vinicius Jr

By | Niranjan Bhargav 31 Jan, 2023

Atletico fans hang a dummy of Vinicius Jr

Prior to the match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on Thursday, a dummy of Vinicius Jr hung from a bridge.

The offenders wrote the player’s name on a black figure, tied a rope to its neck, and let the dummy hang. Along with that, they used a banner that read, “Madrid hates Real.”

Vinicius comes from a black background and has been a victim of racial slurs during his time in Spain. There have been numerous complaints made by the Brazilian regarding the racism faced by him in Europe.

The above message is known to be used by Atletico ultras in the past. However, the group has denied taking the responsibility for the offense in charge.

Reaction from the teams and the league

Atletico Madrid responded to the incident by saying, “These are repugnant and inadmissible acts that shame society.”

The club added “Our condemnation of any act that attacks the dignity of persons or institutions is categorical and unreserved. The rivalry between the two clubs is the greatest, but so is respect. No individual, whatever their intentions or colors, can tarnish the coexistence between different supporters. It is everyone’s responsibility to avoid this.”

Real Madrid expressed their gratitude towards the support received after the “lamentable and repugnant act of racism, xenophobia, and hatred against our player Vinícius.”

“Attacks such as those suffered by our player, or those suffered by any sportsperson, have no place in a society such as ours,” Real Madrid said.

La Liga said they “strongly condemn acts of hatred and intimidation” against the Brazilian. The league also approved the authorities to further investigate and serve “the most severe sentences” for those responsible. They further said that “Intolerance and violence have no place in our sport.”

The Spanish soccer federation termed the incident as an “intolerable act” and promised to stand by Vinicius against the “direct threat by radical groups.”

The federation said “These types of manifestations, charged with hatred, only encourage violence and have no place in our sport. Soccer must be lived with passion, but always respecting the players, the opponent, and the fans. This type of vandalism is unacceptable.”

Racial Slur against Vinicius Jr

Atletico had previously apologized on behalf of those who called Vinicius a “monkey” during last year’s Madrid derby at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. However, due to a lack of evidence, Spanish prosecutors closed the case after failing to identify the offenders.

Earlier this month, Laliga filed charges against Valladolid fans who insulted Vinicius with racial slurs. Similarly, he was again targeted by a fan who used racial abuse during a “clásico” against Barcelona in 2021.