Follow-up – WAA
Brazilian Vinicius Junior has put himself in a predicament, a few weeks before the Ballon d’Or is decided.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior made controversial statements a few days ago, in which he called for the 2030 World Cup to be moved from Spain if the country has not eliminated racism by that date.
Vinicius said in statements published by the Spanish newspaper “Marca”: “If racism is not eliminated in Spain before 2030, the World Cup must be moved to another place.”
“We have enough time to change until 2030, and I hope that Spain can understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the colour of their skin,” he added.
“If things don’t change in 2030, I think we have to change where the World Cup is held, because if a player doesn’t feel comfortable and safe playing in a country where he can suffer from racism, it becomes very complicated,” he continued.
As soon as these statements were made, criticism poured in on Vinicius from the Spaniards.
The beginning was with the mayor of the Spanish capital, Madrid, Jose Luis Martinez Almeida, who believed that Vinicius had made a mistake by questioning the suitability of Spain hosting the 2030 World Cup.
“I hope he retracts these statements immediately,” Almeida said. “We are all aware that there are racist incidents in society and we have to work hard to eradicate them, but it is very unfair to say about Spain, and especially Madrid, that we are a racist society.”
The mayor of the capital added that Vinicius is “an exceptional footballer”, but that “does not mean that he cannot make mistakes, and in this case he made a mistake”.
Almeida continued: “Vinicius has the support of the vast majority of Spanish society to fight racism. But we cannot support him when he describes our Spanish society, especially Madrid society, as racist, because I cannot accept that.”
Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the Spanish national team, commented: “Spain is not racist, it is an example of coexistence, respect, and integration. It is an example that many should look to. It is a clear example. Yes, we have to improve in order to eliminate these behaviors, but Spain is an example for many countries.”
The European champions’ coach added that he is fully confident that the 2030 World Cup, which Spain will host with Portugal and Morocco, “will be an exceptional event and a success in the future.”
Even his Real Madrid teammate Dani Carvajal responded to the Brazilian’s comments, saying: “There should be no doubt that Spain is not a racist country. I grew up in a multi-ethnic neighbourhood in Leganes since I was a child. Spain is not a racist country.”
“We are against any form of racism in stadiums. I know what Vinicius is going through, we support him internally and externally, and I think La Liga is improving and there are protocols that prevent these hooligans from returning to sporting events. But, apart from these people, I don’t think Spain doesn’t deserve to host the World Cup.”
Source: Kora