Football Fan Sentenced to 1yr Prison for Racial Abuse of Samuel Chukwueze, Vinicius Jr.

A La Liga football fan has been handed a one-year prison sentence for racially abusing Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. in two separate incidents.

The abuses occurred during Mallorca's home win against Villarreal on February 18, 2023, and Real Madrid's match against Mallorca on February 5, 2023.

The Spanish court sentenced the offender to six months for each incident and issued a three-year stadium ban.

This decision shows the ongoing issues of racial discrimination in football and the broader societal need for stricter anti-racism measures.

Vinicius Jr. has publicly voiced his concerns about being targeted by discriminatory abuse from rival fans. He suggested that Spain should not host the 2030 World Cup unless substantial action is taken to combat racism. His comments were met with mixed reactions, including criticism from LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who labeled them as "incoherent."

Tebas stated, "Let's remove what is incoherent and keep what is coherent: that Spain is not a racist country, and on that I agree with Vinicius.