Vinicius Jr: Sevilla supporter ejected after allegedly racially abusing Real Madrid forward in 1-1 draw

Vinicius Jr praised Sevilla for taking swift action against a supporter after the Real Madrid forward was allegedly racially abused in their 1-1 draw; he said it was the 19th time he had been a victim of racist abuse; Sevilla ejected the supporter and handed them over to legal authorities

Sunday 22 October 2023 10:49, UK

Image: Vinicius Jr played 88 minutes of Real Madrid's 1-1 draw at Sevilla

A Sevilla supporter was ejected from their LaLiga match with Real Madrid after allegedly directing racist abuse towards Vinicius Jr during the 1-1 draw.

The Brazil international played 88 minutes of the fixture at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan where Madrid captain Dani Carvajal's header 12 minutes from time cancelled out David Alaba's own goal.

Vinicius Jr later posted on social media about being on the receiving end of racism during the match on Saturday night and praised Sevilla for taking swift action.

The Real Madrid forward said: "Congratulations to Sevilla on the quick positioning and the penalty in another sad episode for Spanish Football.

"Unfortunately I have access to a video of another racist act at this Saturday's game, this time carried out by a child. So sad there is no one to educate her. I invest, and I invest a lot, in education in Brazil to train citizens with different attitudes.

"The face of today's racist is stamped on websites as on several other times. I hope the Spanish authorities do their part and change the legislation once and for all. These people need to be criminally punished too.

"It would be a great first step to prepare for the 2030 World Cup. I am here to help.

"Sorry to sound repetitive but it's episode number 19. And counting."

A statement from Sevilla read: "Sevilla FC would like to communicate that, after detecting xenophobic and racist behaviour, a member of the public was identified, ejected from the stadium and handed over to legal authorities.

"The individual will also be subject to the club's vigorous internal disciplinary protocols and have their membership revoked.

"Sevilla FC condemns all racist and xenophobic behaviour and will work closely with the authorities to ensure that action is taken accordingly. This behaviour does not belong at Sevilla FC."

Vinicius Jr was in the thick of the action throughout the draw, denied a penalty at the end of the first half before he was booked five minutes from time after he clashed with Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, which sparked a brief
melee between both sets of players.

It was only back in May when Madrid filed racism directed at Vinicius Jr as a "hate crime" to the Spanish State Attorney General's Office following a string of alleged racist attacks aimed at the 23-year-old.

LaLiga called at the time for a legislation change to allow them to impose punishment on clubs for episodes of racist abuse and Vinicius Jr consistently stressed the need for change, especially with Spain hoping to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.