Vinícius Júnior: Spanish soccer fans sentenced to prison for racist insults toward Real Madrid star

Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.

MADRID — Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.

The fans, whose names weren’t released, won’t be allowed to enter soccer stadiums for two years and will have to pay for all the court proceedings.

They were detained after a Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The match was briefly stopped after Vinícius was insulted.

Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior celebrates after scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on March 6.Manu Fernandez / APThat incident sparked an outpouring of support for Vinícius, who is Black, and set off widespread calls for action by Spanish authorities and society in general.

Many saw it as a turning point in the fight against racism in Spanish soccer, although Vinícius continued to be subjected to racist abuse several months after the initial uproar that accompanied the incident at Mestalla.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/vinicius-junior-spanish-soccer-fans-prison-racist-rcna156311

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