Vinícius Júnior praises Sevilla for ejecting fan for racial abuse

Vinícius Júnior praised Sevilla for acting quickly after the club’s expulsion and reported a fan to authorities for racist abuse against the Real Madrid striker during Saturday’s 1-1 La Liga draw.

Footage showed a man making a racist gesture towards Vinícius after the Brazil international was involved in a confrontation with Sevilla players in the 86th minute at the Sánchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Vinícius has repeatedly been the target of racist insults from opposition supporters and testified earlier this month in the trial of three Valencia fans accused of racist violence against him during a match in may.

Sevilla announced shortly after Saturday’s match that “a member of the public had been identified, removed from the stadium and handed over to judicial authorities” after the club detected “xenophobic and racist behavior”.

“The individual will also be subject to the club’s rigorous internal disciplinary protocols and will have their membership revoked,” Sevilla said in a statement.

“Sevilla FC condemns any racist and xenophobic behavior and will work closely with the authorities to ensure action is taken accordingly. This behavior has no place at Sevilla FC.”

Later on Saturday, Vinícius responded to the incident on social media.

The player also said he saw a video — which his representatives shared with ESPN — that showed another young fan racially insulting him.

“Congratulations to Sevilla for acting quickly and for punishment in another sad episode for Spanish football,” Vinícius said.

“Unfortunately, I have access to a video of another racist act during Saturday’s match, this time committed by a child. It’s so sad that there is no one to educate her. I’m investing and I invest a lot in education in Brazil to train citizens with different attitudes.

“The face of today’s racist has been published on websites as on several other occasions,” he said. “I hope that the Spanish authorities will do their part and make changes to the legislation once and for all. These people must also be punished criminally.

“This would be an excellent first step to prepare for the 2030 World Cup [that Spain will co-host]. I’m here to help. Sorry to sound repetitive, but this is episode number 19. And it counts.”

LaLiga has documented and reported eight incidents of racist abuse targeting Vinicius during the 2022-23 season, including that at Mestalla.

However, in a number of cases, local prosecutors chose not to file charges.

“There is no place for racist or hateful behavior in sport,” the league said on social media on Saturday. “LALIGA vehemently condemns any racist acts and will continue to work to eradicate this inexcusable behavior from our sport.”