May 23, (THEWILL) – La Liga is demanding increased authority to penalise clubs whose supporters engage in racist abuse, citing a sense of powerlessness due to the current lack of effective sanctions following the recent incident involving Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.
The league finds itself embroiled in a racism scandal after Vinicius was allegedly subjected to racist chants during a match against Valencia on Sunday. The player claimed that this was just one instance of an ongoing problem, stating that such episodes occur in various Spanish cities.
Under the current Spanish law, La Liga can only identify and report incidents, with penalties being rarely imposed. Now, the Spanish top flight aims to bring about legislative changes that would grant them the authority to enforce punishments such as playing matches behind closed doors or imposing financial penalties.
The League expressed its frustration in a statement, saying: “La Liga will request more sanctioning powers, with the aim of being more agile and effective in the fight against violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sport.” It stressed its role in identifying and reporting such behavior over the years but feels hampered by the lack of significant action from sports disciplinary bodies, public administrations, and jurisdictional bodies.
Therefore, it intends to formally request amendments to the existing laws on violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sport. It is seeking the ability to exercise disciplinary authority over incidents of this nature within professional competitions. The proposed sanctions include full or partial stadium closures, prohibition of access for members/fans, and financial penalties, depending on the severity and nature of the incidents.
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.
