The arrests come two days after fresh racist slurs were leveled at the young striker during a Spanish Football League match at Valencia’s ground, which sparked condemnatory reactions from around the world.
And in Brazil, the lights of the iconic statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro were turned off for an hour on Monday evening in a show of solidarity with Vinicius Junior, who was the victim of racist insults during a national match in Spain.
And it was decided to turn off the lights at 6:00 p.m. local time to conclude a day in which the Brazilian government and the world of football condemned the racist abuse the Real Madrid player suffered while he played in Valencia in the Spanish first division. Sunday.
The diocese, which manages the statue, cooperated with the Brazilian Football Confederation and the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football in this act of solidarity.
“The Diocese of Christ denounces the racist attacks against Brazilian player Vinicius Junior,” the diocese said on Instagram.
“The lights of the statue will be extinguished as a symbol of the collective fight against racism and in solidarity with the player and all those who face discrimination in the world,” she added.
The Brazilian government has called on Spanish and sporting authorities to sanction those responsible for the ‘racist attacks’ against the player, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed solidarity and support for the Real striker Madrid.
Other sports figures such as Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand and Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton have also expressed their support for Vinicius.
The 22-year-old Brazil international posted a silhouette of the statue in front of the moon on Twitter and expressed his gratitude for the support.
“Black and powerful. Christ the Redeemer was like that now. An act of solidarity moved me. But above all I want to shed more light on our suffering,” he wrote.
Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, has acknowledged that there is a real racist problem in the country’s football, where “press releases no longer work”.
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