MADRID: Five Valladolid fans who racially insulted Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior in 2022 have been found guilty in the first ruling in Spain that condemns racist insults in a soccer stadium as a hate crime, the league said Wednesday.
A Valladolid court convicted the fans for their insults in a league match, sentencing them to one year in prison plus a fine of up to 1,620 euros ($1,837). The jail time is suspended on condition they don't commit any offense or visit soccer stadiums hosting official national competitions for three years.
The league called Wednesday's ruling “a firm step towards eradicating racism in sport.”
“This judicial decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain,” the league said.
Last year, three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.
That was the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain, but it was not based on a hate crime. The Valencia fans were convicted of a crime against moral integrity, with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives.
“The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football,” the league said.
The league first filed the complaint against the Valladolid fans. It was later joined in the case by the player, Real Madrid, and the public prosecutor’s office.