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Victor Petkov
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Four men arrested in Spain over Vinicius Jr racial abuse
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Vinicius Jr. has been outspoken about the racial abuse he has endured in La Liga on multiple occasions

Four individuals have been arrested in Spain in connection with an alleged online hate and racism campaign targeting Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. The campaign reportedly encouraged fans to racially abuse the 24-year-old Brazilian player, advising them to wear black face masks to avoid detection. Spanish police confirmed the arrests, which took place on October 14 and 15, and stated that the suspects were released as the investigation continues.

Vinicius Jr. has been outspoken about the racial abuse he has endured on multiple occasions, even breaking down emotionally during a press conference earlier this year. He expressed frustration, saying he felt “less and less” like playing football due to the repeated incidents of racism.

The investigation initially began on September 29, ahead of the La Liga derby at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, after the online campaign spread through social media under the hashtag “Metropolitano with a mask.” Although no racist incidents occurred during the match, the game was temporarily paused due to objects being thrown onto the pitch.

This is not the first time fans have faced consequences for racially abusing Vinicius. In June, three Valencia supporters were sentenced to eight months in prison for racially insulting the player during a match in May 2023. In response to these repeated incidents, Vinicius has vowed that he and his teammates will walk off the pitch if faced with any further racism this season, emphasizing that halting matches might be the only way to eradicate racism from football.