Brazil will play friendlies against two African nations as part of an anti-racism campaign in support of their Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, who has been racially abused in Spanish League games this season, the Brazilian FA (CBF) said on Friday. The five-time world champions will face Guinea in Barcelona on June 17 and Senegal in Lisbon three days later.
The CBF has also launched a national campaign against racism in Brazilian league matches starting this weekend following the racist insults 22-year-old Vinicius Jr suffered in a LaLiga match at Valencia on Sunday, the 10th such episode against the player that LaLiga has reported to prosecutors this season.
With the slogan “There is no game with racism”, the CBF aims to extend the fight started in 2022 under its new president Ednaldo Rodrigues, who pushed for changes in legislation that saw the football authorities and Brazilian justice system apply more severe punishments against racism in stadiums.
“We want Brazil to lead the fight against racism worldwide,” Rodrigues told Reuters in an interview in March.
The CBF worked closely with Vinicius Jr on the details surrounding the two friendlies as it wanted to be sure the player was comfortable with the matches being held in Iberia and the Real Madrid winger supported the idea, sources said.
With the CBF still looking for a new national team manager, Brazil will again be coached by caretaker Ramon Menezes, who will leave the Under-20s for a day during the World Cup that is currently being played in Argentina to announce on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro the squad for the Barcelona and Lisbon friendlies.
Rodrigues told Reuters in March that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti would be an obvious choice for the vacant Brazil post if he was available at the end of the European season.
However, last week the Italian said he would honour the last year of his contract at the Bernabeu.
Four men detained in Vinicius Jr case get bail, released
Four men detained in Spain earlier this week over a suspected hate crime in the hanging of a black effigy of Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Jr from a bridge have been released on bail, a Madrid court said on Thursday.
The men, who are also being investigated for an offence against Vinicius’ moral integrity, have been banned from approaching and communicating with the Real Madrid winger pending further investigation, a court statement said.
The inquiry was opened after an inflatable black effigy dressed in the No. 20 jersey of Vinicius Jr was hung from a bridge in front of Real Madrid’s training grounds before a match against Atletico Madrid in January.
Alongside it was a large red and white banner — the colours of Atletico — that read “Madrid hates Real”.
The four suspects were also banned from approaching the Real Madrid training grounds and to be closer than one kilometre from the club’s two stadiums and any LaLiga stadium during soccer matches.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
