Fans found guilty of hate crimes against Vinicius Jr

Four people have been handed suspended jail sentences after being found guilty of committing hate crimes against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.

The quartet were found guilty of hanging an inflatable effigy of Vinicius Jr over a bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground in January 2023, shortly before Atletico Madrid’s Copa Del Rey match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

A banner above the effigy read: “Madrid hates Real”.

Three of the group were sentenced to 14 months in prison, while one was given a 22-month sentence for distributing images of the act online.

However, the sentences have been suspended after all four signed a letter of apology to the Brazil international, Madrid, La Liga and the Spanish football federation (Rfef).

Vinicius Jr has regularly been the victim of racial abuse since joining Real Madrid in 2018 from Flamengo.

The Brazilian, who has made 316 appearances for the club, was subject to racist chanting by Atletico fans during a La Liga match in September 2022.

The 24-year-old was targeted again later that month during a match against Real Valladolid, with five people later being handed suspended prison sentences.