Racism is not only a problem in Spanish soccer. With a landmark ruling, the country’s judiciary is now sending a clear signal: hatred and discrimination have no place in sports.
Five soccer fans have been given one-year suspended prison sentences in Spain for racially abusing Vinicius Junior. According to La Liga, all of the defendants reached an agreement with the public prosecutor and joint plaintiffs before the trial began at the regional court in Valladolid. It is a “milestone” as it is the first conviction in Spain “to classify racist insults in stadiums as hate crimes.”
According to the judiciary, the defendants admitted to insulting the Brazilian Real Madrid player during the league match at Real Valladolid on December 30, 2022. Among other things, they were also fined between €1,080 and €1,620 and banned from working in education, leisure, and sports for four years.
The men will not have to go to prison, however, as in Spain, prison sentences of up to two years are suspended for first-time offenders.
“A decisive step in the fight against racism in sport”
In order to avoid a prison sentence, the defendants also agreed to two key conditions as part of the agreement: they must not reoffend within three years and are banned from entering any stadiums nationwide where official competitions are held.
“This is a decisive step towards combating racism in sport,” La Liga emphasized in its statement. Until now, racist incidents in stadiums had only resulted in convictions for violations of moral integrity, with racism considered an ‘aggravating circumstance’ at best.
“The fact that the current ruling explicitly mentions hate crimes in connection with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football,” La Liga continued. ‘We will continue to work closely with the authorities and clubs to ensure that football is a safe, respectful, and inclusive space for everyone.’
