Spain’s football league has long attempted to promote its image by tightly controlling what can be broadcast. One star has had enough of this sanitized version of the competition though.
Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior said on social media that racism was “normal in La Liga” after a section of Valencia supporters called him a monkey on Sunday during the game between the two clubs. Yet, you wouldn’t have known much about the racism from watching the live coverage.
Neither is it the first time fans have subjected Vinícius Júnior to abuse. On Sept. 18 when Atletico Madrid hosted arch-rival Real Madrid a large group chanted racist abuse against Vinícius. The match was stopped during the first-half as fans tossed lighters and empty bottles at him.
In both cases, the Spanish league, one of the most popular in Europe, initially tried to downplay the events and cover up the abuse. Unlike in other major leagues such as England’s Premier League, La Liga chooses commentators and journalists to cover games and also has oversight of all cameras, both in and in some cases, around the stadiums, according to a person familiar with the rights contract.
The racism Vinícius received in both incidences was caught on social media. Following the Athletico Madrid game, the incident wasn’t discussed by commentators at the game’s major broadcasters, either at half-time or after the match.
Following the Valencia game, officials from Valencia denied there was any widespread racism, despite videos spreading through social media showing large areas of the crowd chanting “monkey” in Spanish.
La Liga President Javier Tebas attempted to rebut Vinicius on social media, arguing that the league has fought back against racism.
The head of Spain’s football federation Luis Rubiales admitted that Spain has an issue with racism. “We have a problem of behaviour, of education, of racism,” he told reporters at an event in Madrid. “As long as there is a single vermin or a group of vermin that insults [someone] for their sexual condition, skin color or faith, we have a serious problem.”
The incident shook Vinícius’ home country of Brazil, covering the front pages of major dailies and drawing damning rebukes from mayors all the way up to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva himself. Before embarking for home from the G7 summit in Japan, he offered his solidarity with Vinicius Jr.
“How is it possible that in the middle of the 21st century we have racial prejudice gaining strength in various stadiums in Europe?” he said at a press conference.
The Brazilian government categorized the attacks on the star winger as “unacceptable” in a statement, and announced it would take take action with both sporting authorities and sponsors. CNN Brasil reported that the foreign ministry would summon Spain’s ambassador in Brasilia, while the Brazilian ambassador to Spain had requested meetings with La Liga’s Tebas and Real Federacion de Futbol’s Rubiales.
While football coverage has long failed to address racism within the sport, the topic is now often discussed by commentators and pundits among other leagues. In 2021 Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates mentioned at half time that Arsenal had reported racist abuse from a spectator earlier in the game.
However, the coverage of Spanish football is tightly controlled. La Liga has previously admitted that journalists covering the league understand there are certain rules on how you cover the sport.
“I don’t say which questions must be asked, you should know what you cannot ask,” Tebas said in a radio interview last year. “If you ask something that isn’t in the rulebook, you won’t be back.”
LaLiga said in a statement that it would investigate the incident and take any appropriate legal action. The league has made nine complaints over racist abuse against Vinícius over the last two seasons, including seven this season.
--With assistance from Clara Hernanz Lizarraga, Andrew Rosati and Daniel Carvalho.