In a recent La Liga event, Javier Tebas offered his thoughts on the topic of racism in La Liga and the importance of Vinicius Junior, in this aspect.
The La Liga president, in fact, handed out an impassioned speech on racism, even hailing Vinicius as a ‘leader’ and a ‘wrath of the enemy’, when it comes to combating racism.
What Tebas said about Vinicius
“Vinicius is a player who, by fighting against racism, has drawn the wrath of the enemy, and we are keeping a close eye on him because he is a leader who has decided to have a clear stance against racism,” Tebas said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
The Spaniard recognized the personal and professional risks the Real Madrid star has taken in the fight against racial abuse over the past few years or so.
Vinicius Jr has been at the centre of several high-profile racist incidents during his time in La Liga, with the abuse escalating throughout the past few years.
One of the most notorious incidents occurred during a match against Valencia in May 2023, when sections of the crowd hurled racist insults at the Brazilian.
The situation became so severe that Vinicius confronted the fans, pointing out the culprits to the referee, which led to a temporary stoppage of the match. Despite this, he was later controversially sent off after a scuffle during the game.
Measures La Liga has taken to curb racism
Tebas explained that LaLiga now has better systems in place to track racist insults, even when players themselves may not be aware of the abuse directed toward them.
“There are complaints that he doesn’t even know he was insulted, because, with the teams we send to the stadium and away, we have much more knowledge than we did a year and a half ago,” Tebas added.
Despite the progress made, Tebas emphasized that the fight against racism is far from over. He highlighted the shift in fan behaviour, noting how the once-passive majority of spectators now actively collaborate by reporting incidents of racial abuse in the stadiums.
This change marks a significant step forward, but Tebas was clear that racism remains a persistent issue in the sport.
“There has been a significant change since the passive behaviour of the vast majority of spectators is now collaborative. People point out and report in the stadiums when they hear a racist insult,” Tebas said.
However, he tempered his optimism by acknowledging the long road ahead, stating, “It will be a problem that will not be able to be eradicated 100%.”