Spanish court gives online racial abuser of soccer star Vinícius 8-month suspended sentence

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid said Wednesday that a Spanish court has given a suspended eight-month prison sentence to a person who racially insulted soccer stars Vinícius Júnior and Antonio Rudiger in the comments section of a popular Spanish sports news website.

The club said that the offender, whose name was not given, was found guilty of harming the moral integrity of the players, both of whom are Black. The person also reportedly used hateful language to denigrate Rudiger’s Islamic faith.

The offender avoided prison after agreeing to participate in an anti-discrimination awareness program, the club said. Madrid said the comments appeared on the Marca website.

In June, three Valencia fans were handed eight-month prison sentences after pleading guilty to racially insulting Vinícius during a Spanish league game in May 2023. That was the first conviction for racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain.

Vinícius has been repeatedly targeted for racial abuse during away games in Spain despite attempts by the league and authorities to stamp out such incidents.