Gareth Bale Urges La Liga to Address Persistent Racism Following Vinicius Junior’s Abuse
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has called upon La Liga officials to take decisive action against the recurring issue of racism in Spanish football. Bale’s statement comes in response to the recent incident where his teammate, Vinicius Junior, was subjected to abuse during their 1-0 defeat against Valencia on Sunday.
Vinicius, a Brazilian player, faced derogatory chants from sections of the home crowd at the Mestalla stadium. The match was temporarily halted in the second half as Vinicius reported the abuse to the referee.
To compound matters, Vinicius was later shown a red card for violent conduct after an altercation with Hugo Duro, who himself escaped a red card despite grabbing Vinicius by the throat.
Expressing his support for Vinicius, the Brazilian forward took to social media, stating, “It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. I’m sorry for the Spaniards who don’t agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. And unfortunately, for something that happens each week, I have no defense. I let it happen. But I am strong, and I will go to the end against racists, even if it is far from here.”
Numerous individuals, including Richarlison, Reece James, and Rio Ferdinand, have sent messages of solidarity to Vinicius. Bale, too, took to his Instagram page to show his support. Sharing a photo of himself and Vinicius, the former Tottenham star wrote, “Racism has no place in football or society! La Liga needs to take serious and unequivocal action to stop this from happening. All my support to Vinicius Junior.”
