It's all about racism. La Liga warns Atlético Madrid fans of possible arrest ahead of Madrid derby

Last season in La Liga was marred by an overwhelming number of racist scandals in Spanish stadiums. One of the players who suffered the most was Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior.

Today, Los Blancos will visit Atlético Madrid, and the Rojiblancos’ fans are openly preparing for a fresh wave of insults aimed at the Brazilian. However, La Liga intends to put a stop to it and is demanding the immediate detention of those responsible.

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Details: Ahead of the Madrid derby, Atlético fans have launched a campaign under the hashtag "#MetropolitanoConMascarilla" ("Metropolitano in a Mask"), urging supporters to come to the stadium masked to conceal their identities. The purpose is to hurl insults at players, particularly Vinícius, with impunity.

In response, La Liga officials have announced they will push for the immediate arrest of the campaign's organizers and participants.

• Also read: The Real Madrid coach and players don't like Vinicius' behaviour. What's going on?

Quote: “La Liga wants to announce that it will officially report and demand the immediate arrest of the instigators of this hate campaign, aimed at promoting racist and degrading actions,” reads a statement from La Liga.

“This campaign constitutes a crime of incitement to hatred, as clearly defined in the Penal Code. La Liga firmly condemns these actions, which directly or indirectly encourage, promote, and incite hatred against an individual, in this case, Vinícius Júnior, due to his race.

These actions not only damage the image of the sport and our country but also pose a direct threat to the integrity and well-being of all fans.”

Reminder: While Vinícius Júnior has been the primary target of racist chants, he is not the only one. Numerous cases have been reported across Spain, and La Liga has been struggling to curb this behavior, though so far with little success.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation has introduced new rules stating that if a referee clearly identifies racist behavior from the crowd, the match may be stopped or even abandoned.

In light of these events, Vinícius has already made a public statement suggesting that if the situation in Spain does not improve, the country should be stripped of its right to host the 2026 World Cup.