The 'Vinicius case' puts Spain and its football in the spotlight of the world: "Racism is a huge problem in Spanish football"

The example serves to frame a scourge such as racism, so often neglected despite being chronicled in the stadiums, and only waiting for the media focus to come closer for a few hours and then move away again.

Esteban Ibarra, president of the Movement against Intolerance, sent a letter to the Higher Sports Council (CSD). He did so after the racist insults that Brazilian footballer Vinicius Júnior received at the Metropolitano stadium before and during the derby against Atlético on September 18. «Did I receive any answer? No. This Monday, after what happened in Mestalla, we wrote to them again to convene the Observatory of Violence, Racism and Intolerance in Sport, which is created by law. Neither during the current legislature of Pedro Sánchez, nor in the previous one of Mariano Rajoy, have they brought us together. It's inexplicable”.

Raúl Martínez-Corcuera, a professor at the University of Vic and a hate speech researcher, goes further: “Why does racism continue in the stands? Surely nobody is interested in ending racism in football. Not really much is done beyond talking, discussing and commenting. If there was a real intention to end racism in football, it would act.”. A feeling shared by Ibarra in the face of his latest experiences: «After what happened in the Metropolitan with Vinicius, we filed a complaint with the Hate Crimes Prosecutor's Office. What did they say? That no one could be identified because it was a mass. And that is the problem. If they create a space of impunity with arguments like the mass, there is no way out. No alternative”.

Vinicius was insulted on Sunday with shouts of “monkey” from the stands of Mestalla. He saw how the game continued after a few minutes of interruption. And he ended up expelled after attacking the Valencian player Hugo Duro. Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, came to his defense at the G7 summit: “We cannot allow fascism and racism to take over the stadiums”. This is how Lula complemented the accusation made by the striker on his social networks: “Racism is normal in LaLiga (…). Sorry for the Spaniards who disagree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.

Spain woke up this Monday being observed by many of the most important media outlets in the world, such as the British BBC, which covered the racist scandal while football icons such as Kylian Mbappé showed their solidarity with the Real Madrid footballer. The New York Times, in an article written by journalist Tariq Panja, highlighted that the racist insults that resound in the stands of Spanish soccer stadiums “are not uncommon or new.”

Is Spain a racist country? Is Spanish football racist?

«No», Ibarra answers, and explains: «Spain, according to surveys, has one of the highest levels of tolerance in the European Union. What there is is racist behavior. The stigma of racism cannot be generalized, but there are very visible racist behaviors.

“Are we all racists? No. Is everything racism? No. But there are a lot of racist behaviors. You just have to see the rise of the extreme right, “shares Martínez-Corcuera. Ibarra points directly to this type of group: “Because they are behaviors that are especially carried out by ultra soccer groups. It is a problem that has not been resolved and that ends up infecting and dragging down a large part of the fans on the field.

“Football is not racist, people are racist”

Lorena Cos, a renowned sports psychologist specializing in dealing with soccer players, points out: “Soccer is not racist, people are racist regardless of where they live. It is true that xenophobic and violent attitudes on the part of spectators towards certain athletes are skyrocketing again, which end up contaminating sport and specifically football, leaving a terrifying image for those of us who enjoy it.

Faced with the temptation to mix Vinicius's gestures with racism, Lorena Cos ditch: «No matter how many gestures a person makes, they will never justify that they can be insulted like this. This sometimes turns against them, since when someone feels the prisoner of constant provocations, they despair, losing control with inappropriate behaviors that, moreover, end up becoming perfect arguments for those who want to attack.

Ibarra has no doubts about it either: «A victim of racist behavior is a victim of racist behavior. Period. Racism is a crime. And a crime can never be justified. What has been done with Vinicius is criminal behavior”. The president of the Movement Against Intolerance points to the informative responsibility: “There are many talk show hosts, journalists and social network users who are contributing to a climate of intolerance. The final damage conflates in the daily coexistence and in the image of a country and a sport.”

Martínez-Corcuera, from his experience as a researcher of hate messages, forces to deep reflection: “Yesterday I was reading what media and journalists reproduced. Also in social networks. If you are from Real Madrid and want to support your team, you say that Vinicius is a disgrace. And if you are not, you say he is a provocateur. The problem is when you interpret racism based on certain colors.. When you instrumentalize it. Racism, I insist, is a crime. And a huge problem in Spanish soccer. Moreover, it occurs on a daily basis. Racist insults in soccer are very common, but the media only focus on specific cases. It should be stopped in all soccer fields. There is a greater awareness of the issue and little by little the feeling is being created that racism is not admissible. But we have been talking about it for more than 20 years and nobody pays attention to us.”

And Cos closes: “The fact that we have freedom of expression does not allow us to spread hatred.”