May 27, (THEWILL) – In a bid to combat racism and show support for their player, Vinicius Jr, Brazil’s national football team is set to participate in friendly matches against two African nations, as announced by the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) on Friday.
The friendlies will take place in Barcelona on 17 June against Guinea, followed by a match in Lisbon against Senegal three days later. These fixtures come in the wake of racial abuse suffered by the Real Madrid forward during Spanish League games throughout the season.
The CBF has taken a strong stance against racism and has initiated a national campaign targeting racist incidents in Brazilian league matches, starting this weekend. This initiative follows the 22-year-old Vinicius Jr being subjected to racist insults during a La Liga match against Valencia last Sunday. This unfortunate incident marks the 10th case involving the player reported to prosecutors by La Liga this season.
The CBF, under the leadership of President Ednaldo Rodrigues, aims to amplify the fight against racism in stadiums through stricter punishments enforced by football authorities and the Brazilian justice system. “We want Brazil to lead the fight against racism worldwide,” said Rodrigues in an interview back in March. The CBF is collaborating closely with Vinicius Jr to ensure his comfort and support for the two upcoming friendlies, which will be held in Iberia.
Meanwhile, as the CBF continues its search for a new national team manager, caretaker coach Ramon Menezes, who temporarily steps away from his role with the Under-20s, will announce the squad for the Barcelona and Lisbon matches on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. Despite earlier speculations, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti recently affirmed his commitment to honour the final year of his contract at the Bernabeu, dispelling any potential ties to the vacant Brazil post.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
