Real Madrid News
Official: Valencia to issue lifetime bans for fans who racially abused Vinicius Jr
Not much is being said about Real Madrid’s defeat to Valencia on Sunday night. While a part of it was because the result was irrelevant, the episode of racism at Mestalla was the major reason for its overshadowing.
There was no end to the abuse hurled at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr on the night and there has been clear evidence of the same caught on footage. In what comes as a massive development, Valencia CF have promptly spotted the instances on footage and subsequently released an official statement of their plan of action.
“Valencia CF will ban for life the fans who racially abused Vinícius Jr. The Club strongly condemn this behaviour, which has no place in football and does not correspond to the values of Valencia CF and our fanbase,” they said in their formal statement.
Confirming that they had identified one fan who abused Vinicius and were starting proceedings against him, Los Che said:
“The police has identified a fan who made racist gestures at Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr in the Matchday 35 match at Mestalla on May 21st. The club are also working along with the police to confirm the identity of any other potential offenders.
“Valencia CF have proceeded to open a disciplinary case, will apply the maximum level of severity, including a lifetime stadium ban against the fans involved, and is working closely together with the authorities.”
It is not the first time that the Brazilian has faced such abuse in stadiums. Atletico Madrid, Real Valladolid, Mallorca and Osasuna have already been in the limelight this season for racial insults targeted at the winger by fans.
This time, however, the youngster understandably lost patience. The unjustified red card in the final minute of the game only aggravated his wounds and he lashed out at both La Liga and Spain for encouraging such vices in the game.
“It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, the [Spanish Football] Federation does too and the opponents encourage it.”
The latest incident will have no part in deciding Vinicius’ future, for he continues to be committed to the objectives under Carlo Ancelotti. However, he might face a long time on the sidelines for his reaction and could have played his final game of the season last night.
Speaking to the media, Brazil Football Confederations (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues has claimed that the Selecao have not given up on their pursuit of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, despite the Italian stating that he will not leave the club.
Brazil have been without a manager since the World Cup in Qatar last year, following which Tite stepped down. The CBF have made Ancelotti their top target and have been pursuing his signing for months but to no avail.
The 63-year-old Italian tactician has, on more than one occasion, made it clear that he will be at Real Madrid next season, with his contract expiring in 2024.
However, CBF president Rodrigues is adamant that Ancelotti’s statements are due to him being cautious as he is under contract at Real Madrid and that the Selecao are not prepared to give up on their quest to appoint him as of yet.
“We made a plan, that ‘Plan A’ is the one you know, Ancelotti, and as they say in the ‘ring’ (boxing), I haven’t thrown in the towel yet,” Rodrigues said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“Because of contracts, people are cautious,” he added.
Ancelotti, for his part, has repeatedly stated that he does not intend to leave Real Madrid unless he is forced out of the club.
Despite missing out on the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles last season, the club continue to back the veteran Italian and are planning for next season with him in charge.
So, despite Rodrigues’ confidence and perseverance, it is extremely unlikely that Ancelotti will be leaving Real Madrid for Brazil this summer.
