Football makes visible, stages situations that occur daily in almost every country in the world and that, therefore, become naturalized or relativized. Quirky business and show business on a global scale, this sport also has unparalleled educational power. Vinicius Juniors understood it these days, when he uploaded a video with a compilation of racist insults that he receives every weekend in stadiums throughout Spain. “I have a purpose in life and if I have to suffer more and more so that future generations do not go through similar situations, I am ready and prepared,” he said. A striker to change something in the world.
Tired of hearing “monkey”, “black bastard” and “go pick bananas”, the Brazilian star responded in this way to the expulsion he received in the match against Valencia, after he denounced that a fan made monkey gestures at him. The match was suspended for eight minutes and Vinicius, who did not want to continue playing, went out for a red card that was later cancelled. “It was not the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga. The competition believes that it is normal, the Federation also and the opponents encourage it”.
The video is like a slap in the face, especially towards those people who deny a story, or a reality. The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, a defender of public limited companies in soccer and a voter for Vox – the Spanish far-right party – was surprised when a journalist asked a question:
—How many black workers are there in LaLiga? –She launched. Thebes was silent. And then he said: “Well, look, we don’t count them.”
That answer was better than the one he gave later, when he relativized the racist insults to Vinicius: “The great players, like Cristiano and Messi, were the ones who received the most insults, homophobic in one case and another against intellectual disabilities.”
To that, and to everything, the Real Madrid fans responded last Wednesday against Rayo Vallecano, when they displayed a flag in the South Fund with a conclusive phrase: “Vinicius we are all, enough is enough”.
shores. The wave against racism led by Vinicius Juniors crossed the world and reached Latin America. Not only because of the solidarity that the president of Brazil, Lula, sent him – “It is not possible, in the middle of the 21st century, to have such a strong racial prejudice in so many soccer stadiums. It is unfair that a poor boy who has done so well in life, who perhaps got lost in the best in the world, is insulted in every stadium in which he plays”, stated the Brazilian head of state – or because Christ the Redeemer He was left black in solidarity with the footballer, but because in Argentina this week, Hugo Rodallega joined what made Vinicius visible on the other side of the ocean.
“We do not improve like humanity. A disaster what happens in the whole world. Already the subject of racism tires. Being called cute and black… That’s disrespectful. It’s sad,” declared the Colombian soccer player from Independiente Santa Fe after the defeat against Gimnasia, for the Copa Sudamericana.
It was the same week that Conmebol notified Racing of a sanction for racist insults from its fans in the match against Flamengo, on May 4. The fine will be 100,000 dollars “for violation of article 15.2 of the Conmebol Disciplinary Code” and will be automatically debited from the amount to be received for TV rights. The songs against the Brazilians that emerged from the Cylinder cost that. Perhaps, if Vinicius had not spoken, that fine would not have existed. Luckily, Vinicius spoke.
a different stick
The photo recorded the world. Footballers from Mallorca and Valencia holding a banner that read “Racists, get out of football” -which registers the different stadiums in Spain during this weekend’s date- and a few meters behind, far from that phrase, the Franco-Guinean defender Mouctar Diakhaby.
The central defender, obviously, is not in favor of racism, although he is in favor of the difference in treatment and interest of the different organizations, LaLiga, the world of football and the world in general. Because? Because unlike what happened this week with Vinicius, Diakhaby denounced two seasons ago having been the victim of a racist insult from JuanCala in a match between Cádiz-Valencia. Valencia even withdrew from the field of play in solidarity with Diakhaby. But finally, and at the risk of losing the three points, the team returned without the French central defender. The investigation that LaLiga opened ended up being closed due to lack of evidence. Even its president, Javier Tebas, assured: “He did not say that.”
You may also like
