Racism - Forever and Always

Pretty simple. Pulling the shirt up over the mouth switches the burden of proof.

 

Except for the minor fact that covering your mouth when speaking is standard behavior on the field.

 

GUILTY!

He allegedly called Vinicius “mono” or monkey. Mbappe also heard it.

The latest alleged incident, following an exchange with Benfica’s Argentinian winger Gianluca Prestianni and a subsequent row with the home side’s manager Jose Mourinho, saw Real leave the field of play at the Portuguese club’s Estadio da Luz, or the Stadium of Light, for 10 minutes on Tuesday.

 

It’s the first leg of a two leg playoff. I agree with you re: the court of public opinion, but what about UEFA sanctions?

 

Ok I’ll explain this as simply as I can.

If UEFA has to believe the player, then the winning strategy is to instruct all your black players to accuse all the white players on the other team of racial abuse. Then all those white players will be suspended in the return leg.

Im not sure if I can make it any simpler but if you still don’t understand, tell me what part is confusing and I’ll give it a shot.

 

Uhm, no.
This is a serious accusation, which needs solid proof, not hearsay.
What should be done, given the reported incidents is putting in a system to catch perpetrators, like with targeting microphones or on body microphones, kind alike the bodycams.
Perpetrator caught gets banned for 3 years from European club football

No, football players arenot exactly model citizens. This isnot an incident on the street, it's something on a pitch, where a hundred million is at stake.
So this too simple minded to go the "believe the victim" mode ..when for the alleged victim huge amounts of money are on the table.

 

The large field defense, eh?

 

This was inevitable after two footed tackles were made cardable.Let the nonracist players police the filthy Argies!
-Vinny Jones

 

I understand what you're posting and I'm deeply sympathetic with it, but still, especially with the draconian punishment I want, it needs irrefutable proof of the behaviour. Hence my call for technological means to capture it.
The talking behind hands/shirt cover is because of, real or not, lip readers trying to get tactical info for the opponent, but of course, if real, could be used to catch players saying racist things. Targeting microphones/on body mikes are the answer.

 

So, we actually agree

 

@soccernutter

 

Microphones on players? I remember years ago MLS tried this.

After a bit of back-and-forth argy-bargy, Jim Rooney says, "C'mon ref! That's a f**kin foul!" clearly audible over the TV.

After a brief pause, Adrian Healey says, "And apparently referee [name] didn't think it was any sort of a foul"

 

Guess he shouldn't have pulled up his shirt to hide his racist taunt.

This particular piece of shit is going to get away with it. But I don't care if players in the future are no longer able to cover their mouths when they talk to opponents. Oh dear. What a loss.

 

It works both ways, if you consider the South American dark arts context here.

Brazilian Vinicius Jr. was already on a yellow for instigating home fans after scoring. Argentinian Prestianni knew that and tried to instigate him into a red card. Can you imagine what a *hero* he would be in Benfica/Argentina if he got the mighty Brazilian excluded from the return leg?

A good way to wind up a Brazilian, under South American dark arts, is to insult their manhood. Or if they are black, target their race. You would be amazed at the plethora of racial epithets thrown about in Conmebol stadia, be it on the pitch, from the stands, over sports radio, etc.

Of course, UEFA is lapping it all up: no UEFA player was involved, so it is a *those South Americans* problem. It will launch its *investigation* and like 16/19 previous abuse incidents targeting Vinicius Jr in Europe, there will be no punishment.

Chronology of abuse against Vinicius Jr while playing in Europe (spanning from racial chants/insults/gestures to life threats). Only three incidents saw punishment for perpetrators because police got involved:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4g82mr3l3vo

Prior incidents of abuse+threats in stadia and over media

The hostility towards Vinicius is real - and it has names, dates and court sentences.

The latest incident at the Estadio da Luz marks the 20th time he has allegedly been abused in his time with Real Madrid.

He has been insulted in stadiums across Spain. He has testified in court after a black mannequin wearing his shirt was hung from a bridge.

He has seen fans being sanctioned with suspended sentences for racist abuse in Valencia and Mallorca. This was largely thanks to La Liga's efforts to ensure those actions do not remain unpunished within a judicial culture that long treated football's "industrial" language and "banter" with indulgence.

A chronology of some of the incidents suffered by him makes for depressing reading.

Back in October 2021 during a Clasico at the Camp Nou, a fan shouted racist abuse at him as he was being substituted. The case was closed because the police were unable to identify the perpetrator.

Then in March 2022, Mallorca fans made monkey noises towards him and told him that he should "go pick bananas".

The authorities were "outraged" and said it was "despicable" but not "criminally significant". No action was taken.

On the Spanish football programme El Chiringuito, Pedro Bravo, the head of the Spanish Football Agents' Association, suggested Vinicius should "stop acting like a monkey" and respect his opponents.

He later apologized on X, claiming he had "badly used the expression... in a metaphorical way to mean 'fooling around'".

The comment caused outrage, especially in Brazil. No further action was taken.

In September 2022, Atletico Madrid fans chanted racist abuse outside the stadium. Prosecutors did not file charges.

Then things got even worse.

A doll wearing Vinicius' jersey was found hanging from a bridge in January 2023. Four members of the supporters' group Frente Atletico were sentenced to prison terms of between 14 and 22 months, which were later commuted to fines and restraining orders.

Further incidents followed over the next few months, all of which led to little or no repercussions for the perpetrators.

If there was a turning point it occurred in Valencia at the Mestalla in May 2023, when Vinicius confronted the stands after being insulted.

Later, in extra time, he was sent off after an argument with Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and for punching Hugo Duro in the face.

In June 2024, three fans were sentenced to eight months in prison and two years of stadium bans for their part in the abuse. It was the first sentence of its kind in Spain.

When he returned to Mestalla in March 2024 he was met by a chorus of boos. His response? Two goals, celebrated with a raised fist.

Sometimes he doesn't even have to be at the match to suffer the racial taunts.

Eleven days after the Mestalla return, racist abuse towards him was chanted before a Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and Inter. Real Madrid reported the incident to the hate crimes prosecutor's office.

Then five days later, at Osasuna's ground shouts of "Vinicius die" were heard.

On 29 September 2024, four people were arrested for inciting a hate campaign on social media under anonymity to insult the player during the derby against Atletico Madrid.

Most recently, this February, during the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez paused the match through Spain's anti-hate protocol.

This was due to chants against another player, but the cameras also captured a fan making monkey gestures towards Vinicius during the stoppage. The club broadcast announcements over the PA system and LED screens rejecting xenophobic chants.

Only last month, during Alvaro Arbeloa's debut as Real manager against Albacete in the Copa del Rey, a group of their fans hurled racist insults at the Brazilian.

La Liga strongly condemned the incident, reaffirming its support for the player.

And now the Lisbon incident.

Perhaps you might wonder why Vinicius continues to react and fight? He gave an answer in June 2024 after the racists who abused him in Valencia were sentenced to jail term.

"Many people asked me to ignore it, others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just 'play football'," Vinicius said in a post on X.

"But, as I've always said, I'm not a victim of racism. I am an executioner of racists. This first criminal conviction in Spanish history is not for me. It's for all black people."

 

The Athletic has a great piece on how Paramount/CBS covered it.

if I had seen that before my initial post in this, I would have been a lot more sure the Benfica player is guilty.

 

Do I need to add commentary to this?
House Speaker Johnson rejects request for Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at Capitol

https://history.house.gov/Institution/Lie-In-State/Lie-In-State-Honor/

Yes. I do. This is a nothing burger, but it would have been a nice gesture in different times.

 

He came around once Rhett himself (UEFA) said what happened. Remember that he is from a country where POC testimony was not considered as honest as that of predators.

 

The failure was in asking. No POC should lie in state in this nation's capital in the generations following America's endorsement of Trump.