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Wednesday, Jun 21, 2023
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Racism row: Member of Vinicius Jr’s entourage presented with banana, Police investigating

After Brazil’s 4-1 victory, Vinicius Jr said in a Twitter post: “While I was playing with the already historic black shirt and getting emotional, my friend was humiliated and mocked at the entrance to the stadium.

Real Madrid's Vinicius JuniorWorkers pass a poster of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior outside the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid.(AP)
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Racism row: Member of Vinicius Jr’s entourage presented with banana, Police investigating
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Spanish police have said they are investigating after a member of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior’s entourage was the victim of an alleged racist incident before Brazil’s international friendly against Guinea on Saturday.

Felipe Silveira, a long-term friend of Vinicius and a member of the agency which represents the player, was allegedly presented with a banana by a member of security staff at Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium after he was searched ahead of attending the fixture.

Silveira filed a complaint following the incident on Sunday. Mossos d’Esquadra, the regional police of Catalonia, are investigating, according to a report in The Athletic.

Vinicius Jr has been subjected to racist abuse on several occasions this season, with La Liga filing ten complaints in total.

The decision to play the friendly in Spain was criticised in Brazil following the racist abuse suffered by Vinicius Jr at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium in May. But the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) managed to pacify the sea of criticism by using the fixture as an opportunity to take a public stand against racism by wearing an all-black kit for the first time.

After Brazil’s 4-1 victory, Vinicius Jr said in a Twitter post: “While I was playing with the already historic black shirt and getting emotional, my friend was humiliated and mocked at the entrance to the stadium.

“The treatment was sad, at all times they doubted the surreal scene that happened. Backstage is disgusting. But to make everything public, I ask those responsible: where are the security camera footage?”

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with the Real Madrid forward this month regarding a new initiative aiming to tackle racism in football and Vinicius agreed to join a task force that was set up to combat racism in the game.

First published on: 21-06-2023 at 11:37 IST
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