Four people have received suspended prison sentences ranging from 14 to 22 months from a Madrid court after being convicted of a hate crime involving an effigy of Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior, according to Spain’s La Liga.
This incident marks the fourth court ruling in a year concerning racial abuse and threats aimed at the Real Madrid forward.
According to a statement from La Liga on Monday, the individual who uploaded the video online has been barred from working in educational, sports, or youth recreational settings for four years and three months, while the other three received sentences of three years and seven months.
The group was involved in displaying a banner that read: “Madrid hates Real” along with an inflatable black effigy wearing a replica of Vinicius’s number 20 jersey on a bridge prior to a Copa del Rey match against Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
The court’s ruling indicated that one defendant received a 15-month sentence for a hate crime and an additional seven months for making threats, having shared images of the incident online.
The other three were sentenced to seven months for hate crimes and another seven months for threats.
However, they will not serve time in prison, as all four signed an apology letter addressed to Vinicius, Real Madrid, La Liga, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
The first defendant was also fined €1,084 ($1,257), while the others were fined €720 ($835).
Additional penalties include a restraining order prohibiting them from approaching Vinicius, his home, and workplace within a 1km (0.6 miles) radius, as well as a ban on attending football stadiums during La Liga or RFEF matches.
To have their prison sentences suspended, they must participate in an educational programme focused on equal treatment and non-discrimination.
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There has been no immediate response from the court or from Vinicius, who is currently competing in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Vinicius has been a repeated target of racial abuse, and La Liga has lodged complaints regarding various incidents of such abuse and threats against the Brazilian player in recent years.
On June 10, 2024, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Vinicius in May 2023, marking Spain’s first conviction for racist insults in a football stadium.
In September, a Spanish court sentenced a Mallorca fan for racially abusing Vinicius in February 2023 and a week later, also racially abused Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze.
Last month, five individuals were given 12-month suspended prison sentences and fines for racially abusing the Real Madrid forward during a December 2022 match, representing a significant ruling in Spain that classified racist insults in a football stadium as a hate crime.
