Brazilian club side Flamengo showed their support for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior with a “sit down” protest against racism on Saturday.
The seven-time Brazilian league winners, along with their opponent Cruzeiro, observed a 36-second sit-down protest against racism after kickoff of their league game at the fully-packed iconic Maracana Stadium.
Flamengo supported Vini Jr. with a sit-down protest against racism last night in Brazil ❤️???????? pic.twitter.com/jCTQrlHd38
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 28, 2023
Flamengo, Vincius’ former club before he moved to Spain, also had the name of the 22-year-old superstar engraved on the front of their jerseys, while thousands of fans inside the stadium had banners that read “everyone with Vini Jr.”.
Vincius, who has been a constant recipient of racial abuse from opposing fans in La Liga, was once again a victim during Los Blancos’ 1-0 defeat to Valencia at the Mestalla last Sunday.
The latest encounter has led to many shows of support for the young Brazilian, including from his parent club Real Madrid, ex-players, teammates, other opposition players, the Spanish football federation, and the world governing body FIFA.
However, despite all of the talks surrounding the incident, La Liga president Javier Tebas has been at the forefront of the negative side of the debacle, most recently blaming the player for the incident.
Also, Valencia’s initial partial stadium ban was reduced from five to three matches, and the initial fine of $48,000 was also brought down to $29,000, a decision that left many in disbelief.
Vinicius, who was also shown a red card in the game against Valencia but has since had it rescinded, has missed Madrid’s last two games. He was injured for their midweek 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano last Wednesday and was left out of the squad in their 2-1 comeback win over Sevilla on Saturday.
