Racist chants targeting Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr were heard outside the Carlos Belmonte stadium on Wednesday ahead of a Copa del Rey match against second-division side Albacete, Afrosport reports.
A group gathered near the stadium in the city of Albacete was heard directing abuse at the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly been subjected to racism in Spain.
Albacete condemned the incident in a statement on social media, saying: “Enough of this racism, it’s completely shameful. It’s not the image that represents the people of Albacete or the club.”
Vinicius was included in Alvaro Arbeloa’s starting lineup for the round-of-16 tie, marking Arbeloa’s first match in charge of Real Madrid following Xabi Alonso’s departure.
In May 2025, Spain handed down a landmark ruling when five people received prison sentences for racist insults aimed atVinicius during Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Valladolid in 2022, the first time such abuse in a football stadium was classified as a hate crime. Since 2022, there have been 18 legal complaints related to racist behavior against the forward.
Real Madrid had no immediate comment on Wednesday’s incident. Vinicius has previously voiced frustration at what he sees as insufficient action by football authorities to address racism.
