Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid acknowledges fans as he celebrates Real Madrid defeating Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Final at Wembley Stadium on June 1. The Brazilian star was the target of racist chants last year -- an incident that sparked international outrage and has now resulted in prison terms. David Ramos/Getty Images/Getty Images Europe hide caption An infamous racist incident targeting a Black athlete in Spain last spring has resulted in prison time, in what La Liga, the country’s famous soccer league, says is a first.
A Spanish court sentenced three men to eight months in prison on Monday for targeting Brazilian superstar Vinícius Júnior with racist chants as his Real Madrid team played a road game at Valencia on May 21, 2023. Fans were heard loudly chanting mono -- “monkey,” in Spanish -- and making monkey gestures, resulting in public outrage and widespread international support for Vinícius, who was then 22. The soccer phenom said afterward that similar incidents had happened repeatedly, and that while he views Spain as a beautiful country, “Racism is normal in La Liga.
” Responding to news of the punishment, Vinícius noted on the X platform that he was warned that efforts to combat racism were in vain. But, he added, “I’m not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists.
” The historic conviction is for all Black people, not only him, he said. After the punishment was announced, La Liga said the case sends a.
