Fans who hung effigy of Vinicius Júnior from a bridge convicted of hate crime in Spain
MADRID — A Spanish court has convicted four people who hung an effigy of Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior off a highway bridge two years ago, the league said on Monday.
The defendants were found guilty of hate crimes after hanging a black figure , with Vinícius' name on it, in the Spanish capital before a Copa del Rey match against rival Atletico Madrid in January 2023.
Along with the effigy that was hung by its neck, there was a banner with the words 'Madrid hates Real.'
A defendant who disseminated images of the act online was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a hate crime, and seven months for threats.
The other three defendants were each sentenced to seven months in prison for hate crimes and seven months for threats. The four of them must complete a training program on equal treatment and non-discrimination to have their prison sentences suspended.
All were also fined and prohibited from coming within 1,000 meters (3,200 feet) of Vinícius, his residence and Madrid's training center. They also can't get within 1,000 meters of soccer stadiums from four hours before and four hours after matches being organized by the league or the Spanish soccer federation.
They were additionally prohibited from having any form of communication with Vinícius for a period of four years from the end of the prison term.
Prosecutors had said the four people belonged to a hardcore Atletico fan group that is 'ideologically identified with the extreme right.'
All defendants signed a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius, Real Madrid, the Spanish league and the Spanish federation, which led to mitigation for damage reparation.
The Spanish league was on the case as a private prosecutor.
In May, five Valladolid fans who racially insulted Vinícius in 2022 were found guilty in what the league said at the time was the first ruling in Spain that condemned racist insults in a soccer stadium as a hate crime.
Last year, three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Vinícius in a 2023 match, in what had been the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain, though it was not based on a hate crime.
The Valencia fans were convicted of a crime against moral integrity, with the aggravating circumstance of discrimination based on racist motives.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Atletico Madrid add Arsenal man to shortlist of options
Atletico Madrid are looking to address left-back as one of their priorities this summer. With Benfica left-back Alvaro Carreras, their first option for the position, pushing for a move to rivals Real Madrid, Los Colchoneros are looking to England for alternatives. A number of names have been linked with Atletico, with Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson supposedly atop their shortlist. In recent days Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell and Aston Villa defender Lucas Digne have also been cited as potential options at the position. Atletico Madrid interested in Oleksandr Zinchenko The latest name that Atletico are looking at as an option is Arsenal man Oleksandr Zinchenko report Caught Offside. The Ukraine star looks to be surplus to requirements these days for Mikel Arteta, and Arsenal are willing to part with him for a fee around €15m. Zinchenko's camp have held 'positive' initial conversations with Atletico, although there has been no contact between Los Rojiblancos and Arsenal as of yet. Image via David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images AC Milan could rival Atletico for Zinchenko However Zinchenko has attracted interest from elsewhere in Europe though. AC Milan are interested in Zinchenko too, but they may have to resolve the future of Theo Hernandez first before a move is made – the French international was of course linked to Atletico as well last week, but it seems they will go in a different direction. If Atletico do pursue Zinchenko, that could give them a headstart. Does Zinchenko fit Atletico Madrid? The is vastly experienced at international level with Ukraine, having earned 74 caps, and has played at the top level for Manchester City and Arsenal over much of the last decade. There is little doubt he has fallen out of favour in London though, playing just 789 minutes this season. Diego Simeone does generally like his defenders to be solid without the ball first and forward-thinking second, and in that regard Zinchenko wouldn't be the most obvious fit. On the other hand, if Simeone does use wing-backs next season, Zinchenko could be an interesting option.
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
River Plate 3 Urawa Red Diamonds 1: Mastantuono, mind games and one really massive tactics board
River Plate kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds. Facundo Colidio gave River the perfect start, heading home after 12 minutes, and Sebastian Driussi doubled his side's lead shortly after the break after capitalising on a Red Diamonds defensive mix-up. Yusuke Matsuo halved the deficit from the penalty spot just before the hour mark after Marcos Acuna fouled Takuro Kaneko. The River full-back made up for his error with his second assist of the match though, as his corner was headed home by Maximiliano Meza on 73 minutes to make it 3-1. Andy Jones runs through the talking points from River's 2-1 win at Lumen Field… In the space of a few months 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono has gone from a relatively unknown teenager playing for River Plate to Argentina's youngest ever senior international and a Real Madrid player. After the Spanish side triggered his €45million release clause – with the deal totalling €63.2million – he will officially join them on August 18 when he turns 18. The attacker will have to get used to being under the microscope with plenty more people interested in his performances in this tournament. Advertisement While some have made the bold statement of labelling him as the new Lionel Messi, this was not quite the jaw dropping performance that backed up those comparisons – but expectations have to be managed for a player still in the infancy of his career. He did play a key role in his team's opening goal as he surged inside from the right wing and spread a pass out to the left. Marcos Acuna delivered a perfect cross which gave Facundo Colidio the simple task of heading home after 12 minutes. CÓMO JUEGA RIVER AL FÚTBOL, PAPÁ 😍🙌 Franco Mastantuono pone la fantasía, Acuña el pase y Colidio la cabeza 🤌@FIFACWC | Todos los partidos gratis en | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld — DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) June 17, 2025 Aside from that Mastantuono was quiet in the opening half an hour but as the game went on he began to show why there is so much excitement about his potential. He became the focal point of the River Plate attack, using his gangly frame to carry the ball and wrong-foot defenders, but despite his best efforts it turned into one of those days where everything he tried didn't quite come off. There are more games to come, and with this victory the Argentinian side have put themselves in a good position to qualify, giving Mastantuono more opportunities to show off his undoubted talent. There has been plenty of talk about the team introductions ahead of each Club World Cup match with players walking out individually and lining up facing each other in a time-consuming exercise. Urawa Red Diamonds captain Marius Hoibraten seems to share the view of those who are not fans of it – or he's the king of the mind games. As he led his side towards their opponents, Hoibraten opted for a blank stare as he marched past his opponents… While the rest of his team shook hands with the Argentinian side behind him. It was an odd moment, and the bemused faces of the River players only added to the hilarity of the moment. While it is unlikely to have been intentional, it is some exceptional gamesmanship if it was. Forget your fair play and sportsmanship, this is business. It looked like it had worked perfectly when he looped a header beyond River goalkeeper Franco Armani to score what he thought was an equaliser. As he got ready to celebrate he was denied by the offside flag. Advertisement Instead, it was another header which was a key moment in the game for all the wrong reasons. Shortly after the second half began, his attempted header back to his goalkeeper was pounced on by Sebastian Driussi who beat Shusaku Nishikawa to the ball to double his side's lead. It was far from the ideal outcome. In the defender's defence, the club captain is Takahiro Sekine who began on the bench so he might just have been too concerned with other responsibilities. He probably won't forget to shake hands next time. In an age where everything in football is about data and instant video analysis on iPads, Urawa Red Diamonds aren't interested in that nonsense. As they prepared to make a double substitution midway through the second half, one of the team's coaching staff was briefing imminent arrival Thiago Santos Santana as they tried to get back on level terms – by using the biggest tactics sheet arguably the world has ever seen. Proper old school. Proper football. In an industry now where so much is hidden to deny opponents from gaining an upper hand, the large tactical diagrams left little mystery as to their tactics and set-up. Even the 5,000 Urawa fans, who travelled over from Japan and did not stop chanting and bouncing all game, positioned behind one of the goals could have read the instructions being dished out. Unfortunately, it apparently didn't have a solution for defending a near post corner as two minutes after the substitutions were made, Maximiliano Meza drifted into space left by the Japanese side's zonal marking system to head home Acuna's corner and restore his side's two goal advantage. The goalkeeping was poor, the defending not much better. Back to the drawing board on the set pieces for the Red Diamonds. You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Real Madrid new signing excited ahead of potential debut vs Al-Hilal – ‘Looking forward to it'
Real Madrid new signing excited ahead of potential debut vs Al-Hilal – 'Looking forward to it' Real Madrid will kick off their FIFA Club World Cup campaign tomorrow when they take on Al-Hilal in their Group H opener. It will be a special occasion for new signing Dean Huijsen, who appears set to make his debut for Los Blancos, along with fellow summer arrival Trent Alexander-Arnold. Advertisement Huijsen, 20, who arrived from Bournemouth in a €58 million deal, spoke to the media earlier today, and discussed his feelings heading into his potential debut game for Los Blancos. When asked how excited he was to make his debut for Real Madrid at the Club World Cup, the Spanish international replied: 'We are looking forward to it and we are Real Madrid. We have to win and that's what we want.' Having linked up with his new teammates only last week, Huijsen was asked to name the player who he has been spending the most time with. In response, the youngster said: 'I've been with a lot of them. It's a very good group and we're all together.' On being quizzed about the most striking thing about this Real Madrid team and the squad, he said: 'That they are all good people, very humble and eager to work.' Advertisement On what has impressed him the most since joining the club, the 20-year-old defender remarked: 'Everyone knows the level of the players, but when you're in there you can really feel it. They are very good.' Set for his Real Madrid debut. (Photo credit: Real Madrid official website) Talking about new manager Xabi Alonso and the experience of working under him so far, Huijsen stated: 'He wants to show us his ideas and I think we are gradually learning it. We are eager to get started.' Commenting on fellow new Real Madrid signing Franco Mastantuono, who will be arriving in August, the Spaniard said: 'I think we've all seen a bit of what he can do. He's a young player with a lot of potential and we're looking forward to getting to know him.' When asked if he had been feeling the pressure and the magnitude of being a Real Madrid player, Huijsen replied: 'I don't care about that. I'm me and I'm here to play football, which is what I like, and to contribute to the team. I don't care about the pressure.' Source: AS
