Valencia fans who insulted Vinícius are first to be convicted for racism abuse in Spanish soccer

By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — Three Valencia fans have been handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. It is the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain. The fans, whose names weren’t released, won’t be allowed to enter soccer stadiums for two years and will have to pay for all the court proceedings. They were detained after a Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. The match was briefly stopped after Vinícius was insulted. Valencia had already banned the fans from Mestalla.