The Vinicius doll was hung on the Madrid bridge before the match “Real” – “Atletico”.

“Racists keep going to stadiums and watching the best club in the world play and La Liga still doing nothing,” Vinicius Junior wrote in a story on his Instagram account last December. A victim of monkey screams and racist slurs since the start of the season, the spinning Casa Blanca winger has been targeted again. At the Wanda Metropolitano in September last year, Atlético fans sent racist chants to Vinicius, but this time the level of hatred for the Brazilian has gone up a notch. On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, a mannequin wearing the number 20 merengue jersey hung on a bridge near the Real Madrid training camp, next to a banner reading “Madrid hates Real Madrid”.

Even before the incident happened, during a press conference on Wednesday, Carlo Ancelotti, well aware of the history between his player and the Rojiblanco public, stated: “We have to protect him. He needs football. He has an extraordinary talent and we must protect him both physically and mentally.”

This Thursday, Real Madrid denounces in a press release the “deplorable and heinous act of racism, xenophobia and hatred” against their player and denounces these attacks “which have nothing to do with the values ​​that football and sport represent. there is no place in a society like ours.”

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) also published statement in which he “strongly condemns the acts of hatred against Vinicius Jr”, and La Liga, for its part, clarifies that “as in previous cases, #LaLiga will insist on an investigation of the facts in order to convict those responsible, demanding the heaviest criminal penalties” , the message says.

The Spanish media also condemned this “racist attack” and described it as a “serious threat” against the Brazilian, and the police announced an investigation without providing further details.

Atlético, for their part, felt that “such actions are absolutely disgusting, unacceptable and shameful for society.” The club adds that “the rivalry between the two clubs is strong, but also mutual respect”.

For its part, the Brazilian Federation (CBF) “hopes that the perpetrators will be identified and punished”, and expressed its disgust at “the racist actions that Vinicius is once again facing”. “Intolerance and discrimination have no place in sport and must be eradicated from society,” writes CBF.