Three Valencia Fans Given Eight-Month Jail Terms For Racially Abusing Vinicius Jnr
Three Valencia supporters have been handed eight-month prison sentences for racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
The incidents occured during a La Liga match at the Mestalla Stadium in May 2023.
It is the first time any individual has been prosecuted for hate crime inside a football stadium in Spain.
The three individuals have also been banned from entering any football stadium for a period of two years.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said:, external "This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain, as it goes some way to redressing the disgraceful wrong suffered by Vinicius Jr and sends a clear message to those individuals who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse.
"La Liga will identify them, report them, and there will be criminal consequences.
“I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity.
"We at La Liga can only respect the pace of justice, but once again we demand that Spanish legislation evolve to give La Liga sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism."
La Liga have recorded 16 cases of racial abuse against Vinicius in the last two seasons.
