Five Valladolid fans who were sentenced to Vinícius Júnior Hass Crime | real Madrid

Five Valladolid fans who misused Real Madrid striker Vinícius Júnior have received suspended prison terms, describing La Liga as a pioneering judgment that condemned racist insults that were thrown as a hate crime in a football stage.

The case goes back to Madrid's 2-0 victory in December 2022 at the José Zorrilla Stadium of Real Valladolid, in which several fans hurled racist abuse in the Brazilian. The individuals were later identified with pictures and videos that were published on social media.

A court in Valladolid condemned the fans, sentenced them to one year in prison and fines of up to € 1,620 (£ 1,364). The prison sentences were suspended on the condition that the accused do not commit any further crimes and that the stadiums were subject to the next three years.

The verdict was celebrated by La Liga, which it described as “unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sports in Spain”.

Previously, the courts had seen racist chants as a criminal offense against moral integrity, with the breed being an aggravating factor. “The fact that this judgment expressly relates to hate crimes associated with racist insults increases the message that intolerance has no place in football,” says a statement on Wednesday.

The view was repeated by Real Madrid. In the past few months, the courts in Spain have been awarding penalties for racist abuse in stadiums in Valencia, Palma de Mallorca and the Vallecas Stadium in Madrid, the club said in a statement.

Valladolid's decision, however, felt different. “On this occasion, the convictions of hate crimes represent a unique recognition of the offensive nature of these behaviors.”

The 24 -year -old Vinícius has long been at the forefront of fighting racism in La Liga after being exposed to racist abuse on more than 10 Spanish terrain. Last year he presented the tribute from years of racist insults and announced reporters that the abuse had to play his wish.

His efforts have made progress in the past few months. At the end of last year, the police arrested four men in Spain who were accused of coordinating an online hatred campaign against him, while in 2023 four people were arrested for allegations to hang up a Vinícius portrait of a Madrid bridge.

In November he again addressed his struggle against racism and described him as a continuing struggle that he liked to take over, but added that he could “not suffer all of these blacks” alone.