Real Madrid have lodged a complaint against Juan Martinez Munuera, the referee who officiated Saturday’s La Liga match at Osasuna, for omitting alleged racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior from his match report.
Los Blancos claimed the referee deliberately omitted insults and chants hurled at the Brazilian winger despite the incident being brought to his attention.
Real have now reported the incident to the Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee as well as the Spanish State Commission Against Violence and Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, calling for the culprits of the demeaning act to be identified and punished.
Vinicius has been at the centre of multiple racist abuses in Spain over the past three years and Madrid wants the necessary measures taken to eradicate the malaise.
“Our club has filed a complaint with the Royal Spanish Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee regarding the match referee Juan Martinez Munuera, owing to the negligent drafting of the refereeing report. The official omitted, in voluntary and deliberate fashion, the insults and humiliating chants directed towards our player on a repeated basis, despite his attention being drawn to them continually by our players as they were happening,” read a statement on the club website.
“Furthermore, Real Madrid has filed a complaint with the same Federative body in relation to the aforementioned insults and humiliating chants, and has reported them to the State Commission Against Violence and Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, in order for those responsible to be identified and sanctioned.
“In light of these unacceptable events at El Sadar, Real Madrid has added to the complaint filed before the General State Prosecutor on Friday the 15th of March regarding hate and discrimination offenses pertaining to the racist and hateful abuse aimed at our player Vinicius Junior in the areas surrounding the Montjuic Olympic Stadium and the Metropolitano Stadium, calling for the perpetrators to be identified.
“Real Madrid once again condemns these violent attacks of racism, discrimination and hate and demands that measures finally be taken in order to eradicate the violence to which our player Vinicius Junior has been subjected.”
✌️ @vinijr ✌️#OsasunaRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/kCtO6MdE8S
— Real Madrid C.F. ???????????????? (@realmadriden) March 16, 2024
Vinicius scored twice in the game against Osasuna to take his tally to 12 La Liga goals in 20 games this season.
Real Madrid are eight points clear of their fierce rivals Barcelona at the top of the table and has nine games left to conclude the season.
