Valencia supporters jailed for racial abuse of Vinicius Junior

Three Valencia supporters have been sentenced to eight months in prison for hate crimes against Vinicius Junior.

The trio, who were also banned from entering football stadiums for two years, were found guilty of hurling racial slurs towards Vinicius when Valencia welcomed Real Madrid to the Mestalla in May 2023.

The conviction – the first to be issued in Spain for racial insults inside football stadia – was welcomed by LaLiga president Javier Tebas.

“This ruling is great news for the fight against racism in Spain,” he said.

“It repairs the damage suffered by Vinicius Junior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to insult that LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them.”

LaLiga reported 16 incidents of racial abuse towards Vinicius in the last two seasons.

The Brazil forward broke down in tears during a press conference in March, when he urged Spanish authorities to take action after admitting he had lost a lot of enjoyment and motivation due to the recurring abuse.