Vinicius Jr Documentary Prompts Legal Row with Valencia
Ouarzazate – La Liga club Valencia have announced they are considering legal action over the portrayal of the club's supporters in a new Netflix documentary centred on Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
The documentary, which was released globally last week, follows the Brazilian international's rise from the favelas to top-flight football, with a particular focus on recent seasons. One key episode features an incident at the Mestalla Stadium in May 2023, where Vinicius was subjected to racist abuse, leading to a temporary suspension of the match.
Spanish courts later handed jail sentences to several Valencia supporters for racist chants during the fixture.
From Brazil to the world 🇧🇷 Vini Jr. is now playing. pic.twitter.com/PfdP5UtPHk
— Netflix (@netflix) May 15, 2025
Disputed subtitles
Valencia have objected to the documentary's presentation of that incident, particularly subtitles accompanying crowd footage which suggest that chants of 'mono' (meaning 'monkey' in Spanish) were directed at the Real Madrid player.
In a statement, the club claimed that the majority of supporters were instead shouting 'tonto', which translates as 'stupid'.
'In light of the injustice and falsehoods committed against Valencia CF fans, the Club has demanded in writing an immediate rectification from the documentary's production company regarding the events at Mestalla, which do not correspond to reality,' the club said.
'The truth and respect for our fans must prevail. Valencia CF reserves the right to take legal action.'
🦇 Ante la injusticia y falsedades cometidas con la afición del Valencia CF, desde el Club hemos exigido por escrito una rectificación inmediata a la productora del documental por lo ocurrido en Mestalla y que no se corresponde con la realidad. La verdad y el respeto a nuestra… https://t.co/3Xy66YnL3b
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf) May 19, 2025
Wider tensions
The club had previously threatened legal proceedings in the wake of the original incident, including against Vinicius' teammate Rodrygo, who claimed at the time that the 'entire stadium' had racially abused the player.
The incident triggered renewed pressure on Spanish football authorities to take stronger action against racism in stadiums.
Neither Netflix nor Vinicius Junior has yet responded publicly to Valencia's statement. Tags: racismReal MadridValenciaVinicius Jr
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