"I'm a tormentor of racists!", declared Vinicius Jr after three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences for racially insulting the Real Madrid forward in what has been reported as the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.
Vinicuius took to social media to warn abusers to 'hide in the shadows.'
In a message posted on social media, Vinicius noted thus: "Many asked me to ignore it, many others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just 'play football.' "
"But," he added, "as I've always said, I'm not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists. The first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It's for all black people."
He signed off saying, "May other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I'll be here to collect. Thank you to La Liga and Read Madrid for helping with this historic conviction. More to come..."
Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior in the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.
The fans, whose names were not released, won't be allowed to enter soccer stadiums for two years and will have to pay for the court proceedings, according to The Associated Press
They were detained after a Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The match was briefly stopped after Vinícius was insulted.