Barcelona Defender Jules Kounde Supports Vinicius Junior In Racism Row
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior suffered racial abuse during Real Madrid’s 1-0 loss at Valencia on Sunday night.
The visitors were a goal down when the forward was targeted with discriminatory comments from rival fans at the Mestalla Stadium.
The play was stopped for several minutes after the Brazilian brought the referee’s attention to supporters making these chants.
The game restarted but Vinicius was shown a red card for slapping Hugo Duro’s face.
He later posted a strong statement on social media, saying ‘racism is normal in La Liga’.
A lot of people have expressed support for the 22-year-old since that incident, including Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.
Barcelona defender Jules Kounde also recently issued a strong message on Twitter to support the young winger.
“Discriminatory insults should not be tolerated or justified.To say that a player’s behaviour can provoke racist reactions is to shift the debate. We must focus on solutions because the problem is unfortunately recurrent and tarnishes the image of this league.This is certainly the fact of a minority but that does not make it more acceptable.
“Are these people deeply racist or do they act only in order to destabilise? Hard to say. But one thing is certain, words matter and actions have consequences.
“These behaviours are punishable by law. Stadium bans, alone, would be all too easy. What sanctions exist beyond football? Are they actually applied? Are they sufficient? Can we imagine more educational and general interest measures?
“Ignorance is the worst of evils, but it can be cured. I remain convinced that everyone is able to reflect on their past behaviour, to take stock of the harm it has caused, and to change for the better.
“All my support Vini Jr.”
Vinicius Junior has been one of the most important players for Real Madrid this season.
In 32 La Liga appearances, he has recorded 10 goals and contributed nine assists this term.
The Brazilian has averaged 2.4 shots, 2.0 key passes and 3.4 dribbles per game in the Spanish top-flight, while boasting over 80 percent passing accuracy.
He also started 11 Champions League matches this campaign with 12 goal contributions to his name.
Vinicius has been excellent for Los Blancos since arriving in Madrid from Flamengo in 2017.
Since making his debut at Real in September 2018, he has made an incredible 224 senior appearances with over 120 goal contributions to his name.
