The Spanish Football League announced on Monday the sentencing of three Valencia fans to 8 months in prison for their involvement in racist abuse directed at Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior during a match between the two teams last year.
The league indicated that the three individuals involved in the incident, which occurred in the stands of Valencia's Mestalla Stadium on May 21, 2023, were convicted, marking the first judicial ruling against racist abuse in a football match in Spain.
The perpetrators have been banned from entering stadiums for two years for any Spanish league matches or matches held under the auspices of the Spanish Football Federation.
The Spanish league stated that Valencia Club cooperated with the investigation and expelled the three individuals from the club's membership.
Javier Tebas, president of the Spanish league, commented on the ruling, saying, "This is great news for the fight against racism in Spain and corrects the shameful wrong that Vinicius suffered. It is also a clear message to anyone who goes to a football stadium to engage in insults."
Tebas added in statements highlighted by the British news agency (PA Media), "The league will identify those involved in the future, report them, and they will be subject to criminal penalties."
He continued, "I understand the frustration with the length of time it takes to issue such rulings, but this confirms the integrity of the judiciary in Spain, and the league is fully committed to respecting the pace of justice."
Javier Tebas added, "But we reiterate our demand for the development of Spanish legislation to grant the league the authority to impose penalties that would accelerate the fight against racism."
Currently, the Spanish Football League is obligated to submit similar incidents to the relevant legal authorities and cannot independently punish clubs, players, or fans for racist insults or incitement to violence and hatred.
