Conviction for racist insults in a football stadium
LALIGA has achieved an important victory in the fight against racism in football in Spain. According to the body chaired by Javier Tebas, the first conviction for racist insults in a football stadium in the country has been handed down. This ruling is the result of a complaint filed by LALIGA before the courts.
Racist chants against Vinicius Jr.
The complaint refers to the racist chants directed against Vinicius Jr. during a match played at the Mestalla stadium on May 21, 2023. Three individuals were accused and found guilty of a crime against moral integrity with aggravated discrimination for racist reasons. . The sentence imposed a sentence of 12 months in prison, which was reduced to 8 months due to the consent of the accused during the investigation phase. In addition, they were prohibited from entering football stadiums where LALIGA and/or RFEF matches are held for an initial period of three years, later reduced to two years.
Collaboration of other actors
Valencia CF actively collaborated in the identification of the accused and proceeded to expel them as members of the club. Other actors who joined the case were the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr himself. During the trial, the accused read a letter of apology addressed to the player, LALIGA and Real Madrid, recognizing LALIGA’s fight against racism and its determined action in the legal and institutional field.
Clear message from Javier Tebas
Javier Tebas, president of LALIGA, expressed his satisfaction with this sentence and sent a clear message to those who go to football stadiums to insult: LALIGA will detect them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them. Tebas also highlighted that this ruling demonstrates that Spain is a guaranteeing country at the judicial level, although he emphasized the need for legislation to evolve so that LALIGA has sanctioning powers that accelerate the fight against racism.
LALIGA and the fight against racism
It is important to highlight that LALIGA does not have powers to sanction clubs, fans or players for hateful, racist or violent behavior. Current legislation in Spain only allows you to report the facts to the competent bodies. For this reason, LALIGA has requested on several occasions the modification of the law to be able to have sanctioning powers in the matter and reduce sanction times in this type of cases.
Initiatives and projects against racism
In addition to this ruling, LALIGA continues to be involved in other judicial processes related to hate crimes in football. The employers’ association has carried out numerous initiatives and projects to combat racism, violence and xenophobia in sport. LALIGA clubs have developed more than 44 initiatives in the last five years, focused on education, prevention and awareness.
