MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court handed a one-year suspended sentence to a soccer fan for racially abusingVinícius Júnior and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze, Real Madrid said on Thursday.
The incidents occurred at Mallorca’s stadium in two games in early 2023 when the defendant insulted the Black players from the stands.
The club said the court in Mallorca also ruled that the abuser is banned from attending any games organized by the Spanish league or Spanish Football Federation for three years.
The one-year prison sentence was suspended after the defendant showed remorse, apologized to Vinícius in a letter, and completed an anti-discrimination program, the club said.
The press office for the courts of the Balearic Islands was unable to immediately share the court’s decision when requested by The Associated Press.
Vinícius, a Brazil forward, has been subjected to multiple acts of racial abuse in and outside soccer stadiums in Spain. He recently said Spain should not be allowed to host the 2030 World Cup if things don’t change.
In June, three Valencia supporters were given eight-month prison sentences for racist chants against Vinícius in the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.
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Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, celebrates after he scored his team's third goal against Espanyol during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
