Barcelona announced their intent to probe the alleged racial harassment of Vinicius Junior during their 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Clasico on Saturday.
Spanish media outlets shared a video that seemingly captures a home fan using a derogatory term against the Brazilian winger, while another object resembling a banana peel is seen being tossed from a different part of the venue.
‘FC Barcelona will always defend the values of football and sport such as respect for the opponent and we will investigate any racist insult that may have occurred this afternoon during the match against Real Madrid,’ said the Catalan club on X, formerly Twitter.
Throughout the match at Barcelona’s temporary Olympic Stadium, Vinicius endured continuous jeering from the fans, but it was his late substitution, following Jude Bellingham’s second goal in stoppage time, that seemed to agitate them the most.
The 23-year-old strolled off the pitch, turning to the stands to celebrate with pumped fists, as Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti guided him off by the arm.
‘He came off very calmly, I told him he had to come off a bit quicker… I helped him off,’ said the Italian coach.
Read also: Vinicius Decries Racial Abuse, Says La Liga Now For Racists
Also, during the game, Vinicius and Xavi were seen exchanging words regarding a challenge on Vinicius by Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.
‘I have a lot of respect for Vinicius, I told him it was not a foul,’ said Xavi.
Last Saturday during Madrid’s draw at Sevilla, Vinicius was a target of racial abuse, prompting the expulsion of one fan.
Moreover, the winger highlighted another video revealing a child making what appeared to be a racist gesture towards him during the same match.
‘Sorry to seem repetitive, but this is isolated episode number 19, and counting,’ said Vinicius in a statement last weekend.
On numerous occasions during his stay in Spain, he has been subjected to racist abuse, with the authorities frequently failing to take any action.
Testifying via videoconference before a Spanish court on October 5, Vinicius contributed to the investigation into the reported mistreatment he experienced at Valencia in May.
In a moment at the Mestalla Stadium, the winger paused the game to confront a fan he suspected was mistreating him, receiving widespread global support for his decision.