Three Valencia fans have been sentenced to prison for racially abusing Vinicius Junior

Three Valencia fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison for racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.

"The three defendants acknowledged their criminal responsibility and published an apology letter addressed to our player Vinicius Jr., Real Madrid, and others who felt humiliated and offended by their behavior.

In addition to expressing remorse, the three defendants urged fans in their letter to eradicate all traces of racism and intolerance from competitions," reads the official statement from the Royal Club.

Recall that the match between Valencia and Real Madrid, which took place in May of last year, was marred by a racist scandal involving the "bats" fans and Vinicius.

In the middle of the second half, the game was halted for several minutes due to the insults directed at the Brazilian from the stands. In stoppage time, the Brazilian winger was sent off for striking an opponent in the face.

Vinicius has recently been regularly subjected to racism by fans during away matches. Particularly notable are the incidents during matches against Valencia and Atletico.