Brazil's Vinícius Júnior broke down in tears at Monday's news conference ahead of their game against Spain in an international friendly match this week as part of an anti-racism campaign called 'One Skin'. Vinicius Jr, a forward for both Brazil and Real Madrid, spoke about the racism he has experienced in Spain and how it has affected his passion for playing football. The 23-year-old became emotional as he addressed several questions about the impact of racism on him.
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The Real Madrid forward, however, stated that he is not considering leaving La Liga despite the racist chants he has endured from opposing fans since he arrived at Madrid over five years ago.
"I've been here for a long time watching this, and I feel more and more sad." "I have less and less will to play. With each complaint made I feel worse, but I have to appear here and show my face.
"I have asked for help from UEFA, FIFA, CONMEBOL, CBF; they can fight against that. The problem that exists in Spain is that racism is not a crime."
Speaking ahead of his national team’s Tuesday night friendly match with Spain, the country where he has played since 2018, Vinícius said:
“I just want to play football, but it’s hard to move forward... I feel less and less like playing. It never crossed my mind [to leave Spain] because if I leave Spain, I give the racists exactly what they want.”
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Vinícius, who is under contract with Real Madrid until June 2027, is determined to continue playing in Spain.
"I have never thought about leaving La Liga because otherwise I would give the racists what they want," he said.
"I am going to continue in the best club in the world, scoring many goals so that they continue to see me. Racists are a minority. As I am a daring player, who plays for Madrid and we win many titles, it is very complicated. I'm going to continue because the president supports me, the club supports me and I'm going to continue to win many things."
Vinícius then discussed the media's approach to reporting the abuse he has endured.
"I think they have to talk less about everything I do wrong on the pitch, that of course I have to evolve and improve, but I'm only 23 and it's a natural process," he said. "I left Brazil very young and haven't been able to learn many things. I'm studying. I'm 23 and I'm still studying. Why can't they, the reporters here, who are older than me, study and see what's really going on? I'm getting sadder and sadder, I feel less and less like playing. But I'm going to keep fighting.
"Above all, I get strength from my family, from the fans and from those people who give me messages of encouragement to continue fighting for those who need it."
"It was a very difficult and complicated moment for a youngster who is starting his career, being attacked as he has been in the last few months. Maybe years. What happens is cowardly. I'm sorry, but there's no other definition," he said on Monday. "This is a fact that happens daily also in our country and that we need a collective effort from everyone.
"Human beings need to respect each other and situations of this type on football pitches are unacceptable.
"If there was an exemplary punishment, things would probably change."
The Spanish government has emphasized the efforts of a permanent committee established to combat violence, racism, xenophobia, and intolerance in sports. This committee, comprised of the Spanish league, authorities, and the football federation, has previously penalized clubs with fines and imposed stadium bans. Additionally, they have barred fans from attending matches for extended periods and imposed substantial fines.
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