June 14, (THEWILL) – Spain and Brazil have announced plans for a friendly match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in March, as part of an anti-racism campaign in support of Real Madrid attacker, Vinicius Junior.
The announcement was made by Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), following a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Ednaldo Rodrigues of the CBF. Vinicius, who represents Los Blancos, has been subjected to repeated racist abuse in La Liga this season as THEWILL reported.
Rubiales said: “There is no place for racist insults in our football,” echoing the sentiments expressed by Rodrigues, who called for stricter punishment for cases involving racism, including deduction of points, stand closures, or even lifetime expulsion of club members that are found guilty. The CBF was the first football federation to adopt such measures. Rodrigues stressed the need for a global campaign against racism, declaring it a “virus that shames everyone in football.”
The Real Madrid forward recently spoke out about the prevalence of racism in La Liga, stating that it is “normal” and claiming that the league “belongs to racists.” He made these comments following an incident during a match against Valencia, where he was subjected to racist chants from the stands and earned a red card for his reaction, which was later rescinded upon investigation.
La Liga president, Javier Tebas, faced criticism after advising Vinicius to “inform himself properly,” though he later clarified that his intent was not to attack the player. Tebas apologised and expressed a commitment to eradicate racism from stadiums, while asking for greater authority for the League to be able to act strongly in racism cases.
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.
