A Majorcan fan guilty of racist insults targeting Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and former Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze has been sentenced to twelve months in prison and a three-year stadium ban.
A supporter of Spanish club Mallorca was sentenced on Thursday to 12 months in prison and a three-year stadium ban for racist insults targeting Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior and former Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze.
The supporter, who had uttered these insults in February 2023 during Mallorca Liga home matches against Real Madrid and Villarreal at the Son Moix stadium “was found guilty of two crimes against moral integrity, aggravated by the fact of having acted with racist motives”wrote the Madrid club in a statement.
The Majorca court sentenced him to a total of 12 months in prison, along with a ban on entering a football stadium for a period of three years, including matches organised by the Professional Football League and the Royal Spanish Federation, according to Real Madrid.
According to La Liga president Javier Tebas, the fan was sentenced twice to six months in prison and a one-and-a-half-year stadium ban, for insults aimed at Vinicius on the one hand, and Chukweze on the other. “This is the result of the work we have done in recent years to eradicate hatred from our football and we will continue to do so. There will be no racist shouting or chanting in a stadium without a criminal conviction.”Tebas promised on X.
Minor banned from stadium for one year
This is the third criminal conviction handed down in recent months for racist insults against Real Madrid players, in particular Vinicius Junior, who has been the victim of numerous incidents of the same type in several stadiums since his arrival in Spain in 2018. On June 10, three Valencia supporters were sentenced to eight months in prison for having uttered racist insults in their club’s stadium in May 2023, already targeting the Brazilian striker.
The incidents, which sparked international outrage, sparked debate in Spain, where racism has been a common occurrence in football stadiums for decades.
A figure in the fight against racism in football, Vinicius has been targeted several times in recent years by insults during sporting events. But only incidents where the accused have been clearly identified have given rise to sanctions.
According to Real Madrid, a minor who had also insulted French international Aurélien Tchouaméni during the Mallorca-Real Madrid match on April 13 “apologized and repented of his behavior, and agreed to carry out the socio-educational activities proposed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Juvenile Jurisdiction.” He was also banned from the stadium for a year.
