May 24, (THEWILL) – Valencia have announced plans to appeal the five-game stand closure imposed by the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) following the racism incident involving Vinicius Junior on Sunday.
After rescinding the red card issued against the Brazilian winger for reacting to being subjected to appalling abuse from fans in the Mario Kempes stand, the governing body imposed a five-game closure of the Kempes stand, including Valencia’s final home game of the season and the first four games of the upcoming season, accompanied by a €45,000 fine.
However, the club believes that the sanctions are unjust and disproportionate, as it will mean penalising innocent spectators, and they intend to lodge an appeal. In the RFEF statement justifying their decision, the body stated: “The Competition Committee has sanctioned Valencia CF with the partial closure of the Mestalla stadium for five matches, specifically the Mario Kempes South Stand, following the events that occurred during the match between the team and Real Madrid.
“It is considered proven that, as reflected by the referee in his report, there were racist shouts at Vinicius, altering the normal course of the match, and the infractions are considered very serious.” The committee also expressed their belief that the referee’s judgment was influenced by a lack of complete information regarding the incident.
In their response, Valencia expressed their strong disagreement and outrage at the “unfair and disproportionate” punishment while highlighting inconsistencies between the RFEF’s resolution and the accounts provided by the national police and La Liga. Furthermore, they pointed to a lack of transparency in the evidence presented, as they were denied access to it and were not granted a hearing. The club restated their condemnation of racism and violence and considered the closure of the stand, which affects supporters who were not involved in the incidents, as an excessive and unprecedented measure that they are determined to challenge.
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.
