If I leave Spain the racists win
But Madrid star Vinicius is losing desire to play
BRAZIL forward Vinicius Junior broke down in tears as he was asked about the racist abuse he has suffered in Spain.
The 23-year-old was speaking at Real Madrid’s training ground, Valdebebas, where Brazil had trained ahead of this evening’s friendly against Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Madrid star was asked why he thought he was singled out for racist abuse and he said: ‘ It’s something very sad that happens in every match of mine. It’s not just me and it’s not just in Spain, it’s all over the world.
‘I receive a lot of insults while the racist is free; he is not punished. Every day that goes by I feel more and more sad about it. But I struggle on because they have picked on me.
‘I fight so that in the near future it won’t happen to anyone else.’
Vinicius began to cry as he added: ‘Sometimes I have less and less desire to play but I want to keep fighting.’
Last May the player was racially abused by supporters at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium and the club gave life bans to three of its fans.
La Liga has reported various incidents of racist abuse aimed at black players in Spain but they have no jurisdiction to take action against clubs or individuals and no one has yet been successfully prosecuted for racist chanting in stadiums.
Vinicius has also been targeted away from stadiums. Prosecutors have requested four-year prison sentences for individuals arrested last year for hanging an effigy of the player off a bridge in Madrid before a Spanish cup clash with city rivals Atletico.
Asked if he had considered leaving Spain, Vinicius added: ‘I’ve never thought much about leaving because if I leave here, I am going to give the racists what they want.’