Madrid, May 23, (dpa/GNA) – Spanish police on Tuesday arrested four people suspected of hanging an effigy wearing a jersey of Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior off a highway bridge in Madrid.
The arrests come two days after the latest case of racist abuse against the Brazil forward during a La Liga game in Valencia.
The incident happened in January, when a black dummy with Vinicius’ name on it was hanged by the neck in the morning of the derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Cup. There was also a banner saying “Madrid hates Real.”
According to media reports, the perpetrators were Atletico fans. They were charged with a hate crime, the police added.
On Sunday, Vinicius was sent off late in the Valencia game for an altercation with Giorgi Mamardashvili and Hugo Duro, who grabbed Vinicius in a headlock. But the forward was the only one to see a red card for pushing Duro in the face.
The player and his coach Carlo Ancelotti said racist abuse from the stands was widespread.
“It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in La Liga,” Vinicius said after the game. Spanish prosecutors are looking into the case.
GNA