Three individuals have been arrested by Spanish police in connection with racist abuse aimed at Real Madrid footballer Vinicius Jr during a recent match. The detained individuals are between the ages of 18 and 21, as reported by the police on Twitter. Vinicius Jr, who is black, has been subjected to racist abuse on multiple occasions throughout the season, and the latest incident during an away match against Valencia has sparked outrage in Spain and Brazil.

During the match, Vinicius reported the abusive behavior of opposition fans to the referee, leading to a temporary pause in the game. Following the match, Vinicius expressed his frustration, stating that “La Liga belongs to racists.” La Liga president Javier Tebas responded on Twitter, mentioning that Vinicius had failed to attend two meetings to discuss how the league could address racism and suggesting that proper information is necessary before criticizing and slandering La Liga. On the other hand, Luis Rubiales, the football federation chief, acknowledged that Spanish football has a serious racism problem that affects not only an individual but also entire teams, fan bases, clubs, and the country as a whole.

Spanish prosecutors will now determine whether to initiate a criminal investigation into the matter. The Brazilian government has expressed its outrage at the incident and has requested urgent meetings with Spanish ministers, prosecutors, and the football federation.

In a separate incident in January, four individuals were detained by Spanish police for hanging an effigy of Vinicius from a bridge in Madrid before a match between Real Madrid and their local rivals, Atletico Madrid. The effigy was suspended by its neck with a banner stating, “Madrid hates Real.”

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