Spanish police have arrested four men on suspicion of coordinating an online hate campaign calling for racial abuse against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
Police said on Thursday that the men, all in their 20s, were detained as part of an investigation into social media posts that circulated days before Atletico Madrid faced Real Madrid in the September derby.
The post, which has been viewed more than 1.5 billion times, called on Atlético fans to attend the match wearing masks so they could insult Vinicius without being identified.
“The police used social media to encourage fans to come to the stadium and hurl insults with racist connotations,” police said in a statement. said on social media. The online campaign quickly gained momentum and caused “significant public alarm”, police added.
As the campaign received headlines across Spain, La Liga announced that it would file formal charges and demand the arrest of those behind the campaign. “This campaign constitutes a crime of inciting hatred.” [which is] This is clearly stipulated in the Criminal Code,” he said in a statement. 1 day ago Derby.
La Liga welcomed the news of the arrest. “These acts will not go unpunished and will have consequences.” The league said in a statement: He vowed to continue fighting against hatred and racism in football.
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In March, Vinicius revealed the ravages of years of racist insults, saying the barrage of systematic abuse he suffered at more than a dozen Spanish grounds had steadily chipped away at his desire to play football. He told reporters that he was.
Anti-racism campaigners have called on Spain to do more to tackle racism in football after one of this year's Ballon d'Or favorites made an emotional admission.
In June, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for a hate crime against Vinicius, which La Liga said was the first time Valencia fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison for a hate crime against Vinicius. announced that he was found guilty.
On Thursday, police announced that the four arrests were made in mid-October and that more arrests may be made as the investigation continues.
The impact of this viral campaign also continues to be investigated, as a government-backed anti-violence commission investigates allegations of racist abuse. After the match, the Spanish Football Federation fined Atlético 45,000 euros (approximately 3.7 million yen) and closed part of the stadium for three games after a supporter threw an object at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. I was punished.
