Stadium bans are not uncommon punishment for sports spectators who fail to meet behavioral expectations, but prison sentences? Three fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years for racially abusing Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior at Mestalla in May 2023.
As reported by ESPN, the incident took place during Real Madrid's 1-0 LaLiga defeat to Valencia and sparked a worldwide uproar after the Brazil star identified an individual in the crowd who had been racially abusing him, causing the game to be suspended.
VinĂcius later hit out at Spanish authorities' handling of the issue, saying "racism is normal in LaLiga," while the league called for greater powers to deal with the problem.
ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez reported that three fans were found guilty earlier today of a crime against moral integrity — aggravated by racially motivated discrimination — under article 173.1 of Spain's Criminal Code. It is believe to be the first verdict of its kind in Spain.
The fans were sentenced to an initial 12 months in prison, reduced by one-third to eight months, under a principle which sees reduced punishments for defendants who accept criminal responsibility.
They also received a three-year stadium ban, reduced to two years for the same reason, and will have to pay costs, Kirland and Faez reported.
Lawyers for the defendants requested on Monday that their prison sentences be suspended — a common practice in Spain for sentences under two years -- and prosecutors did not object.
The judge will rule on that request at a later date.
"This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain," LaLiga president Javier Tebas said, as reported by ESPN. "It redresses the wrong suffered by VinĂcius JĂşnior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them.
"I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity. LaLiga can only respect the pace of justice, and once again demand that Spanish legislation evolves so that LaLiga has sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism."
Real Madrid officials said they would continue to work to eliminate racism.
"The three accused have accepted their criminal responsibility and have made public a letter of apology addressed to VinĂcius JĂşnior, Real Madrid C.F. and other people who felt denigrated and offended by their behavior," read a statement released by the team Monday. "This is the first conviction for acts of this nature handed down by criminal courts and tribunals.
"Real Madrid, which participated in this prosecution together with VinĂcius JĂşnior, will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behavior in the world of football and sport."
