In a groundbreaking ruling, five individuals received suspended prison sentences for racially abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr during a December 2022 match. The Valladolid Provincial Court's sentence included fines and conditions such as avoiding football matches for three years. This ruling is significant as it marks the first time in Spain that such behavior has been classified as a hate crime in a sporting context. LaLiga hailed the decision as a milestone in combating racism in football, emphasizing that intolerance should have no place in the sport. Previous cases had set important precedents in dealing with racial abuse in football events.
This judicial decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain, where, until now, rulings had addressed conduct against moral integrity with a racial aggravating factor.
The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football.
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