Vinicius Jr: Racist abuse means Brazil winger feels ‘less like playing’

Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr expressed feeling increasingly reluctant to continue playing football due to the persistent racist abuse he has endured. Despite facing ten reported incidents of racism in La Liga last season, the 23-year-old remains determined not to let racism drive him away from Real Madrid or Spain. Vinicius emphasized his commitment to staying in Spain to defy the racists and asserted that leaving would only serve their agenda. He acknowledged the difficulty of moving past the abuse and stated his dwindling enthusiasm for playing the sport.

Vinicius’s resolve to remain in Spain was reinforced as Brazil prepared to face Spain in an international friendly at the Santiago Bernabeu, coinciding with an anti-racism campaign titled ‘One skin’. Real Madrid recently filed a complaint against a referee for allegedly omitting racist abuse directed at Vinicius from his match report, though Osasuna denied such claims.

The winger has faced numerous instances of racism in recent seasons, including chants from Atletico Madrid fans and fines and stadium bans for offenders involved in racially motivated incidents. This season alone, reports of racist abuse have surfaced during matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, and Valencia.

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