Vinícius Junior broke down in tears during the press conference ahead of the friendly match between Spain and Brazil, when asked about the racism he has experienced on some Spanish pitches, which, he said, makes him “less and less eager to play.”
“I understand that people talk about what they talk about, about what I do in matches because I have a lot of things to improve, but I’ve been studying racism for a long time now, and I have less and less desire to play,” he said.
“I draw strength from my family and from the people who tell me to keep fighting and defending what I believe in. I want to continue fighting for all the people who need it,” he added.
After composing himself, Vinícius, when asked again about the racism he has faced, broke down in tears once more, stating that he just wants “to play football and do everything for my club and my family.”
“Playing football is very important, but the fight against racism is crucial. I want people of color to have a life like everyone else. If it weren’t for that, I would have given up already. All I want is to keep playing football and for everyone to have a better life,” he asserted.
He received applause from the journalists in the press room after his response, and an employee of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) started an ovation.
The Brazilian footballer criticized the lack of progress in the fight against racism, stating that “the problem is that racism is not a crime in Spain,” making everything more complicated.
“It’s very sad because with each complaint, I feel sadder. There is verbal racism against blacks, it happens a lot in Spain and around the world. It saddens me a lot; it also happened to my father because they chose whites for work. I’ve fought a lot, but no one is supporting me; every day I feel sadder about this. They chose me to speak today because it’s a cause I’m fighting for so that it doesn’t happen to anyone in the near future,” he declared.
“What angers me the most is the lack of punishment. All those people get away with it for everything they do. In Barcelona, a case was dismissed… It would help if there were punishment so that people would be afraid to say what they say,” he stated.
“The support of the CBF is very important to me. Racism is now a crime in Brazil, and that helps. I feel more welcomed. Now the questions are not an attack where I don’t have the right to respond. I feel supported by the players and teammates because there is more talk about this every day, but FIFA, UEFA, and Conmebol could do more. I hope that in the future, it decreases, and fewer people go through this,” he commented.
“I draw strength from my family and the people who suffer. I come from a place where there wasn’t much of a future, and just by being here, I’ve already won. It’s very difficult, but I fight because many people need it,” he revealed.
Despite the racism he has faced in Spain, Vinícius stated that he has never thought about leaving Real Madrid.
“I have never thought about leaving here because if I leave here, I’m giving the racists what they want. I want to fight to be in the best team in the world, scoring many goals, and winning many titles so that people see my face more and more. I want to play football and bring joy to my people and to the people who go to the stadium. Racists are the minority. I am a daring player who plays for Real Madrid, we win many titles; it’s very complicated, but I will stay strong. The club supports me to stay here and win many things,” he noted.
“Vini” thanked Nico Williams and other players who support him in his fight.
“All the players support me. Everyone sends me messages and speaks to the press, saying that everything that is happening to me in the stadiums is very sad and needs to change. I thank them; they know how difficult it is to think about what can happen on the fields. I want to go to a field to play and do the best I can because I love playing football, even on vacations. I want to play football to do great things,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I just want to play football, do everything for my club and my family, never see black people suffering.”
Stay strong Vinicius Jr
Leave a Comment (0)