Three Valencia fans found guilty for Racial Abuse on Real Madrid Star Vinicius Jr., to Face Jail Sentence and Stadium Ban

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The first conviction for racist insults at a football match in Spain was handed down as a result of a complaint directly by LALIGA the courts.

Three Valencia fans, who racially abused Real Madrid's Vinicus Jr. have been convicted for their offences. The racist chants were directed at Vinicius Jr. on 21st May 2023 at Mestalla by those three individuals.

The defendants were found guilty of a crime against moral integrity under Art. 173.1 of Spain's Penal Code, with an aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives (Art. 22.4 P.C).

Accused face 8-month jail sentence, Two Year Ban

The sentence, originally 12 months in prison, was reduced by a third due to an agreement at the preliminary investigation stage. This resulted in an eight-month sentence for the accused, along with the costs of the proceedings.

Additionally, the guilty parties have been banned from entering any football stadium with matches conducted by the Spanish federation for two years.

Valencia CF cooperated in identifying the accused and promptly expelled them as members of the club. This incident occurred at their Mestalla stadium. This conviction is the first of its kind in Spain. The case was brought to the courts by LALIGA, supported by the RFEF, Real Madrid, and Vinicius Jr.

During the hearing, the defendants read a letter of apology to Vinicius Jr., LALIGA, and Real Madrid. They acknowledged LALIGA's efforts in combating racism and its decisive actions at both legal and institutional levels.

"This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way to redressing the disgraceful wrong suffered by Vinicius Jr. and sends a clear message to those individuals who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. LALIGA will identify them, report them, and there will be criminal consequences," said LALIGA President Javier Tebas.

"I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity. We at LALIGA can only respect the pace of justice, but once again we demand that Spanish legislation evolve to give LALIGA sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism," he added.