Carlo Ancelotti clashes with journalists after slamming grim racist abuse aimed at Vinicius Jr in Real Madrid’s match against Valencia.
A visibly upset Carlo, vented outrage at the abuse that Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior suffered in Sunday’s LaLiga match at Valencia.
Referee paused the match after Vinicius pointed to the supporters taunting him by chanting ‘monkey’. The Brazil international looked close to crying on the pitch with his teammates trying to calm him down.
Valencia fans chanting “Mono” (monkey) towards Vinicius.
F*cking disgusting.
— Barstool Football (@StoolFootball) May 21, 2023
Vinicius and the other Real Madrid players reaction to Valencia’s racist fans.#Vinicius pic.twitter.com/9zQOkThSPb
— Sajjad Lattef (@ImSajjadLattef) May 21, 2023
Vinicius then received his first career red card for violent conduct after an altercation he had with Valencia’s Hugo Duro.
Vinicius struck out at his opponent, who had him in a headlock but escaped punishment following a VAR review.
After the match, Vinicius, who still made time to meet and greet young Valencia fans, wrote on a statement via his social media accounts: “It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, so does the Federation (Spanish FA) and the opponents encourage it. I am so sorry.”
Vinicius has been the subject of racist abuse across a number of Real Madrid’s away matches this season. LaLiga have opened criminal proceedings against supporters for hate crimes against the Brazilian on ten separate occasions this season, with Sunday’s game at the Mestalla the latest.
This whole situation is ludicrous.
Vinicius Jr was the subject of racial abuse, he’s then been put in a chokehold, VAR have told the referee to look at it, the footage shown to the ref didn’t show the choke and Vinicius Jr has been sent off. pic.twitter.com/LHL9HwnO2L
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) May 21, 2023
Earlier this season, an effigy of Vinicius Junior in a Real Madrid shirt was hung from a bridge by a group of Atletico Madrid fans outside his club’s training facilities.
His boss Carlo Ancelotti was furious after Sundays match, telling Spanish broadcaster Movistar: “I don’t want to talk about football, not today. I need to talk about something much more important.
“We have a problem. La Liga has a problem. We need to stop this game. Any game. I would say the same thing if we were winning 3-0. I have never seen a whole stadium being racist and shouting ‘monkey, monkey, monkey.’
At this point, the Spanish TV interview cut in: “Yeah but what about his own reaction…” to which Ancelotti responded: “There is no BUT. There is no BUT.”
The behaviour of Vinicius was also curiously and worryingly compared to the racist abuse he was receiving by the co-commentator on La Liga TV’s international broadcast stream in English, which was broadcast in the UK.
“He is telling the Valencia fans they are going to the second division (as he was being sent-off),” the co-commentator explained after the incident, before saying: “We should stand against racism but we should also say that he is not an angel. He is not perfect. Sometimes he provokes the other teams.
“After the racial abuse, we cannot say he is a saint. He is always making mistakes.”
In his post-match press conference, Ancelotti spoke on the racist abuse having been questioned by a journalist. The boss was asked: “Since you’ve previously had problems with the (Spanish) language, I’ll clarify it for you. Mestalla wasn’t chanting ‘monkey’ (mono), they were chanting ‘silly’ (tonto). It’s a serious accusation to say a whole stadium was racist.”
Ancelotti furiously responded: “Whether it was ‘mono’ or ‘tonto’, the referee stopped the game to open the racism protocol. He wouldn’t do that if they just chanted ‘tonto’. Speak to the referee.”
Carlo also said at his post-match press conference: “I spoke with Vinicius during the game because the atmosphere was really hot, very bad. I asked him if he would like to continue playing.
“The fact that he thought I have to remove him because of the racist environment – that is not good.
“I have brought players off because they are not playing well but I have never had to bring a player off because of racism.
“What happened today has happened many times before but not like today. This is unacceptable. La Liga has a problem. And it is not Vinicius. Vinicius is the victim. The league’s problem is incredibly serious.”
He added: “When he got the red card, the whole stadium was shouting ‘monkey, monkey, monkey’, there is nothing else to say.
“I am very sad because this has never happened to me before – not like this. I never thought about substituting a player off because of racism. He is young and wants to play football. It is complicated.
“Now, on Wednesday, our fans will not be able to watch him because of the red card. He was sent off as VAR invented a situation that did not exist. He was put in a headlock and the player was not punished. Vinicius tried to free himself and was sent off.”
“This is unacceptable. La Liga has a problem”
Carlo Ancelotti asked Vinicius Jr if he wanted to continue to play football after the player was subject to racism. pic.twitter.com/thHSZfASbA
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 22, 2023
“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to racists,” Vinicius wrote on Instagram.
“It wasn’t the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it’s normal, the federation does too and the opponents encourage it.
“A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export the image of a racist country to the world. 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 everything that happens each week, I have no defence. I agree. But I am strong and I will go to the end against racists. Even if far from here.”
This is not easy to watch. Or hear. But it is essential. Vinicius Junior. Welling up with tears after being subjected to a fresh wave of racist abuse. This has been a regular occurrence for six months in La Liga. pic.twitter.com/Ro80mHhvCA
— Colin Millar (@Millar_Colin) May 21, 2023
Valencia said they would investigate and “take the most severe measures”.
“Valencia CF wishes to publicly condemn any type of insult, attack or disqualification in football,” a club statement read.
“Although this is an isolated episode, insults to any player from the rival team have no place in football and do not fit in with the values and identity of Valencia CF.”
La Liga said it had been proactive after previous racist abuse against Vinicius, and had filed nine reports in the past two seasons to legal authorities in Spain.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino said: “Firstly, you stop the match, you announce it. Secondly, the players leave the pitch and the speaker announces that if the attacks continue, the match will be suspended.
“The match restarts, and then, thirdly, if the attacks continue, the match will stop and the three points will go to the opponent. These are the rules that should be implemented in all countries and in all leagues.
“Clearly, this is easier said than done, but we need to do it and we need to support it through education.”
Ex-Premier League player Rio Ferdinand wrote on Instagram: “Bro you need protecting…. who is protecting Vinicius Junior in Spain??
“How many times do we need to see this young man subjected to this? I see pain, I see disgust, I see him needing help… and the authorities don’t help him.
“People need to stand together and demand more from the authorities that run our game.
“No-one deserves this, yet you are allowing it. There needs to be a unified approach to this otherwise it will be swept under the carpet AGAIN.”
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he heard some “monkey noises” after 20 minutes.
“If Vini wants to keep playing, we keep playing, but if Vini says he’s not playing any more, I’m leaving the pitch with him, because we cannot tolerate these things,” Courtois told Movistar.
Brazilian football federation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues said: “How long are we going to experience, in the middle of the 21st century, episodes like the one we just witnessed, once again, in La Liga?
“How long will humanity remain just a spectator and an accomplice in cruel acts of racism?”
Juan Castro, a journalist for Marca who was at the match, told BBC World Service: “Valencia fans abused Vinicius and called him a monkey.
“We have a problem here in Spanish football and we have to solve it. It’s the 10th time that this has happened to Vinicius.
“Maybe the solution is to suspend the match. Maybe the solution is that Vinicius decides not to be on the field any more. Maybe that will be the solution to make people aware that they cannot behave like this in a football stadium.”
Here’s what fans are saying as Carlo Ancelotti clashes with journalists after slamming grim racist abuse aimed at Vinicius Jr…
@MickScully7: Didn’t see the game but it’s got to the point where I’d like to see his teammates say, enough is enough, and just walk off the pitch with him and refuse to come back on.
@StevenJon65: Both teams should walk off the pitch in solidarity with him. Cancel the match or rule it a forfeit.
@ScottinBayV: Would be outstanding if both teams just walked off
@MattWWoolwich: I think an English team would all just walk off. Both teams would. Looks here like players are telling him to stop making a fuss and get on with it.
@DetroitCSC: genuinely think teams should leave the pitch, home match rescheduled behind closed doors and home team fines a massive penalty. only way to stop mass racist taunting. racism has no place in football. period.
@bailardejesus: Why don’t they throw the “fans” out?
@jaredfriesen: Why would any Black player want to play in @LaLiga @LaLigaEN when they are subjected to this? This is shameful. #FIFA
@jonrcrowell: His team mates are letting him down. There’s no way they should let him face this alone. They need to refuse to play. This is disgusting.
@BeeNice2023: This is disgusting and as a team they should walk off any field where this is going on. The home team should also forfeit the games when this occurs in the future
@chelsearob14: Leave the league only way is to make a point, no players etc reduce the league to rubble
@Madhatta34: The teams should walk off, and then FIFA should mandate the home team plays in an empty stadium for the remainder of the season. Suddenly the people sitting near the racists won’t be silent about being offended, and the stadium security will pay attention.
@ArronScott75: It’s not just La Liga that has a problem, large sections of the Spanish media also have the same problem. They go out of their way to excuse the fans behaviour and even attempt to blame Vinicius Jr as if he somehow brought this all on himself.
@PaulFella: Shameful. Kudos to Carlo for calling it out. Watch the silence now though.
@angella150: If it’s the fans both teams should walk out TOGETHER! Make them eat their tickets. Spread the word then every time the disrespect that man that there will be no game. I bet they’ll stop that crap 💩
When you see Vinicius has 15 yellows this season and 14 of them have come in La Liga, the picture is pretty clear.
Not once have we ever seen Vini lose his temper and react in the CL. Says all you need to know.
This is the TENTH issue with racism he’s suffered this season. https://t.co/b6UIfCPHQ5
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) May 21, 2023
You must be logged in to post a comment Login