'La Liga Belongs To Racists,' Says Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr After Racist Abuse

The Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. declared that "La Liga belongs to racists" after experiencing further racist abuse from opposition fans during a match.

In the 97th minute of Valencia's 1-0 La Liga loss, the 22-year-old international from Brazil was dismissed for aggressive behavior following an argument with Hugo Duro.

Vinicius made an angry attempt to alert the referee to Valencia supporters earlier in the game.

"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, BBC reported.

"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 defense. I agree. But I am strong, and I will go to the end against racists. Even if far from here."

According to BBC Sport, Valencia has identified the two supporters who racially assaulted Vinicius and is planning to permanently ban them from the stadium.

This season, Vinicius has received several racist insults as a target.

La Liga urged fans to submit any pertinent video, saying it would look into the matter and take "appropriate legal action" if a hate crime was discovered.

La Liga president Javier Tebas said via Twitter that Vinicius twice skipped a meeting to discuss what the organization "can do in cases of racism."

"Before you criticize and slander La Liga you need to inform yourself properly," Tebas said.

Vinicius criticized the post for targeting him instead of the "racists", saying he wanted La Liga to take "actions and punishments."

The game on Sunday was stopped in the 70th minute as Vinicius attempted to identify spectators who he thought were insulting him.

Teammates and Valencia players escorted him out of the stadium before referee Ricardo de Burgos and Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti met with him.

For his role in a large brawl between the two teams of players, Vinicius was later dismissed for the first time in La Liga.

Ancelotti said: "What we saw today is unacceptable - an entire stadium chanting racist slurs.

"I don't want to talk about football today. There is no meaning in talking about football today. I told the referee he should have stopped the match.

"La Liga has a problem. For me, Vinicius is the most important player in the world. These episodes of racism have to stop the match.

"It's the entire stadium that is insulting a player with racist chants and the match has to stop. I would say the same if we were winning 3-0. There is no other way."

Ancelotti said Vinicius' reaction was "understandable" in the circumstances.

"I asked him if he wanted to keep playing, and he stayed in the game," Ancelotti said.

"Vinicius is very sad; he is angry. Something like this can't happen in the world we live in."

Real Madrid issued a statement on Monday stating its "strongest revulsion" at the racist abuse suffered by Vinicius.

It added: "Real Madrid considers that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, for which reason it has filed the corresponding complaint with the State Attorney General's Office, specifically with the Prosecutor's Office against hate crimes and discrimination, so that the facts can be investigated and clear responsibilities."

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."

Following earlier racial insults directed against Vinicius, La Liga claimed to have taken aggressive action and reported nine incidents to Spanish legal authorities over the course of the previous two seasons.

Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, expressed his "full solidarity" with Vinicius and emphasized the rules that apply to events like those in Valencia.

"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," he said.

"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."

Former England and Manchester United defender 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 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 game, 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 anymore. Maybe that will be the solution to make people aware that they cannot behave like this in a football stadium."

Anti-racism charity Kick It Out's head of player engagement Troy Townsend said "The welfare of Vinicius is not being protected and that needs to change".

"Vinicius Jr has now been subjected to racism numerous times this season while simply playing football for Real Madrid, and it has clearly taken its toll. How could it not? And yet the response from the Spanish football authorities has been to criticize him," he added.

"Perpetrators of this shocking and continued racism need to be punished and banned by clubs. Clubs need to be held accountable and be sanctioned by La Liga.

"Spanish authorities need to take further action against this problem. So far, it is not working."