A Mallorca fan who racially abused Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and former Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze was sentenced to one year in prison and given a three-year stadium ban on Thursday.
The fan was convicted of “two crimes against moral integrity, aggravated by racist motives,” according to a statement from Real Madrid.
The abuse of Vinicius took place during Madrid’s 1-0 La Liga loss to Mallorca at the Son Moix stadium in February 2023. Two weeks later, the same fan racially insulted Chukwueze, now an AC Milan player.
Real Madrid noted that the fan’s prison sentence was suspended after he issued an apology and expressed remorse in a letter to Vinicius, having completed an equality and anti-discrimination program.
This is the third recent conviction for racist abuse aimed at Real Madrid players, particularly Vinicius, who has been subjected to numerous incidents of racial abuse in Spanish stadiums since joining the club in 2018.
In June, three Valencia fans received eight-month prison sentences for racially insulting the Brazilian forward at their stadium in May 2023.
These incidents, which drew international condemnation, have fueled ongoing discussions about the long-standing issue of racism in Spanish football.
Madrid also revealed that another Mallorca supporter, a minor who racially abused midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, has been banned from attending stadiums for a year. The minor has apologized and will undergo socio-educational activities as part of a juvenile rehabilitation program.
Earlier in September, Vinicius called for Spain to lose its 2030 World Cup hosting rights unless significant progress is made in addressing racism in football stadiums.
This Sunday, Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in a derby at the Metropolitano stadium, where Vinicius has previously been subjected to racial abuse.
