Spain will play an international friendly against Brazil at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium on March 26 to raise awareness against racism.
Following repeated racist abuse of Madrid forward Vinicius Junior by opposing fans in Spain, both international football federations have teamed up to organize a match to highlight the theme of “same skin” and to promote violence. Efforts against racial discrimination have been strengthened.
Brazil’s Vinicius has been subjected to racist abuse since he started playing in Spain five years ago.
Last season, a match between Real Madrid and Valencia at the Mestalla was called off midway through the second half after a Brazilian player was found to have racially abused a fan in the crowd behind the Valencia goal. “Racism is normal in La Liga,” Vinicius said in a post-match social media post, adding that “Spain is known in Brazil as a racist country.”
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CGF) and the Brazilian government have called on Spanish authorities to address the racist attack against Vinicius.
La Liga filed a complaint with authorities about racist insults and chants against Vinicius, but some of the charges were withheld by prosecutors.
In October, La Liga announced a system to monitor hate on social media as part of its fight against racism, and president Javier Tebas said one of his failings was to “resolve the problem of racism in Spanish football”. “It was not detected early,” he admitted.
The match between the two teams will be Spain’s first of 2024 and Brazil’s second under new coach Dorival Junior.
Dorival was announced last week and will make his debut in an international friendly against England on March 23.
Spain last faced Brazil in the 2013 Confederations Cup, making this the 10th meeting between the two countries.