Vini Jr. returns to Atlético de Madrid: Can LaLiga finally stop the racist attacks?

This Sunday, Vinicius Junior returns to the Metropolitano, an arena that has witnessed him confronting not only Atlético de Madrid but also racism on several occasions. The expectations are not only focused on what will happen on the field but also on how the authorities and fans will address the racist behaviors that have tainted his recent history at this venue. LaLiga has promised "zero tolerance" and a rigid policy of security, inside the stadium and outside it, so that this kind of racist incident does not recur.

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LaLiga's measures: monitoring and vigilance

According to ge.globo, LaLiga has repeated that each case of racism is being analyzed and presented to the competent authorities. For this Sunday's derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid, the entity announced that the Metropolitano will be under a rigorous security plan. Moreover, staff will be focused solely on monitoring any behavior considered racist, both within and outside the stadium.

It means increased security and eternal vigilance are the promises, showing that LaLiga is seriously thinking of solving the problem, but questions are raised: Will that be enough? The supporters of Atlético de Madrid have been accused several times of various racist acts, especially against Vinicius Jr., and until today, very few of the cases have been followed through with real punishment. It is only when these actions appear swift and unthought of that confidence will rise of finding an effective way of handling racism.

Racism history at Metropolitano

A series of incidents of racism against Vinicius Jr. by Atlético's fanbase has been recorded, with at least four episodes since 2022. It began with the racist chanting of songs in support of and during the Atlético-Real Madrid derby. Matters worsened in January 2023 when an effigy donning Vinicius Jr.'s jersey was hung on a bridge in advance of a Copa del Rey match. This case is still pending in the courts.

Other incidents have included the hurling of racist slurs outside the stadium and even verbal attacks against a child wearing a shirt with Vinicius Jr.'s name. All these repeated racist behaviors by some Atlético fans raise very serious questions about LaLiga's campaigns of awareness and punitive measures. 

Hate campaign and LaLiga response

The situation moved to a different level in recent weeks when a social media campaign urged fans to wear masks at the Metropolitano with the intention of committing racist acts while hiding their identities. The hashtag #MetropolitanoConMascarilla went viral and took off, angering several people. To this effect, LaLiga announced in a release to ge.globo that it would be filing formal charges and requesting the arrest of the organizers of this hate campaign, qualifying their acts as incitement to hatred, a crime provided for by Spain's Penal Code.

Démonial actions that foment, promote, and incite hatred against a concrete person, directly or indirectly, because of his race, are strongly condemned by LaLiga," the statement reads. It seems to leave no stone unturned, but these incidents, taking place time and again, pose yet another question about how well all the measures taken so far have worked.

War on racism in Spanish soccer

For years, Spanish football has been fighting the good fight against racism. Besides the attacks against Vinicius, other players like Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao have also fallen victim to racist abuse; consequences for these perpetrators have been few and far between. If there have been some recent convictions, with three Valencia fans receiving an eight-month sentence each in prison for racist acts against Vinicius Jr., many others were not resolved.

Meanwhile, the FIFA tried to neutralize such elements of racism in the game by inventing the symbolic act of "No to Racism," where referees cross their arms at wrist level during the reporting of a racist act in the flow of a game. Also, LaLiga is authorized to suspend or even terminate a match if the incidences of racist behavior continue beyond public warnings.

But the real question is: Is that all just a set of signs and gestures, or have the supporters and clubs taken in that message?