Five Real Valladolid fans who racially insulted Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior in 2022 have been found guilty in the first ruling in Spain that condemns racist insults in a soccer stadium as a hate crime, LaLiga said Wednesday.
A Valladolid court convicted the fans for their insults in a league match, sentencing them to one year in prison plus a fine of up to €1,620 ($1,837). The jail time is suspended on condition they don’t commit any offense or visit soccer stadiums hosting official national competitions for three years.
“In a decisive step towards eradicating racism in sport, the Provincial Court of Valladolid has handed down the first ruling in Spain this morning condemning the five defendants for shouting racist insults at Vinícius Jr. in a football stadium as a hate crime under Article 510.2a of the Criminal Code,” LaLiga said in the statement.
LaLiga had reported the abuse to a local court.
Vinícius testified via video conference last month during the hearing against the five Valladolid fans.
LaLiga’s statement added: “This court ruling represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain, which until now had only seen sentences for conduct against moral integrity, with the aggravating factor of racism. The fact that the ruling expressly mentions the crime of hate associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football.”
Last year, three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Vinícius.
That was the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain, but it was not based on a hate crime. The Valencia fans were convicted of a crime against moral integrity, with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives.
“The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football,” LaLiga said.
The league first filed the complaint against the Valladolid fans. It was later joined in the case by the player, Real Madrid, and the public prosecutor’s office.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
