FIFA President Gianni Infantino has once again expressed his solidarity with Real Madrid's Vincius Jr following recent racist incidents in La Liga. The 22-year-old Brazilian forward was sent off in the 97th minute of Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat to Valencia after an altercation with Hugo Duro. Earlier in the game, Vincius had tried to bring to the referee's attention the racist chants aimed at him by Valencia fans.
Infantino, who publicly backed Vincius in March after similar racist issues, issued a statement on Sunday saying, "Full solidarity to Vincius. There is no place for racism in football or in society, and FIFA stands by all players who have found themselves in such a situation. Events during the match between Valencia and Real Madrid show that this needs to be the case."
Infantino went on to call for the implementation of the three-step process in all countries and leagues. The process involves stopping the match, announcing it, players leaving the pitch, and the speaker announcing that if the attacks continue, the match will be suspended. If the attacks continue, the match will stop, and the three points will go to the opponent.
Meanwhile, Vincius has not let up in his criticism of La Liga, calling out the league for not doing enough to combat racism. In a post on Instagram, he wrote, "The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to racists. It wasn't the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it's normal, the federation does too, and the opponents encourage it."
La Liga has promised to investigate the incidents and take appropriate legal action if a hate crime is identified. However, Vincius has criticized the league for targeting him instead of the racists and has called for actions and punishments to be taken against them.
The issue of racism in football is a serious problem that needs to be addressed with urgency. It is heartening to see the support of FIFA President Gianni Infantino for Vincius and all players who have been subjected to racial abuse. It is now up to football authorities at all levels to take strong action against this unacceptable behavior and ensure that players are able to perform without fear of abuse.
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