Vinicius Junior is used to it. Even when he got off the bus in front of the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia this time, the surrounding supporters of FC Valencia screamed their hearts out: “Vinicius is a monkey, Vinicius is a monkey.” That’s how it often is, when Real Madrid plays away, and not just in front of the stadium. In Valencia the Brazilian burst his collar on Sunday. “He called me a monkey!” he shouted, pointing to a spectator behind the opponent’s goal when play was stopped. The viewer also made monkey-like gestures. The whole team stood behind Vinicius. Spain now has a broad debate about racism. On Monday, the “Royal” reported.
The game, which ended in Real’s 1-0 defeat, was about to be abandoned. The police led the spectator away, but the atmosphere remained heated. Valencia FC players, for whom points against relegation were at stake, called on their own fans to be prudent. Vinicius said to the referee that he didn’t want to continue playing, coach Carlo Ancelotti had similar thoughts, as he later reported: “Never in my career have I thought of replacing someone to protect them from racist fans,” he was outraged. The game had to be stopped.
