Madrid
AP
–
Five Balladrid fans who racially humiliated Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior in 2022 were convicted in their first sentence in Spain for denouncement racist shaming at a football stadium as a hate crime, the league said Wednesday.
The Balladrid Court convicted fans of shaming in a league match and sentenced them to a fine of up to 1,620 euros ($1,837) in a year-old prison. Prison time is suspended on the condition that you will not commit or visit the soccer stadium, which will hold the official national tournament for three years.
The league called Wednesday’s ruling “a solid step towards eradicating racism in sports.”
“This judicial decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in Spanish sports,” the league said.
Last year, three Valencia fans were given eight months’ prison sentence after pleading guilty to the racially insulting Vinicius.
It was the first conviction for a racism-related case in Spanish professional football, but it was not based on hate crimes. Valencia fans were convicted of a crime against moral integrity, along with an aggravating situation of discrimination based on racist motives.
“The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes related to racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance does not exist in football,” the league said.
The league first filed a complaint against Valladolid fans. The players, Real Madrid and the prosecutor’s offices were then involved in the case.