Vinicius in tears: "I just want to play football, never see black people suffering"

Spain and Brazil will play a more than symbolic friendly on Tuesday in the fight against racism. Ahead of the match, Vinicius spoke in the press room at the Santiago Bernabeu and could not hold back his tears when he spoke of his suffering when he is insulted at matches: "All I want is to play football and for black people not to suffer".

"It's quite sad, it's something that happens here in every game, every day. Every complaint of mine makes me very sad. But like all the black people in the world... It's a sad thing. This is something that is happening... Not only in Spain but also in the world... It happened to my father too, they chose a white person over a black person. It is something that I notice, and I fight because they have chosen me... I'm fighting so that soon it doesn't happen to anyone else", the striker said.

"I understand that people talk about what happens on the pitch. Of course, I have a lot to improve, I'm still 23, and it's a natural progress.... Leaving Brazil very young without having learned so many things... I've been watching this for a long time, and I feel sadder and sadder, I have less and less desire to play," the player added.

Vinicius admitted that he is very affected and that he finds the strength to carry on thanks to his family and his fans. He also told of his frustration at the lack of punishment: "It frustrates me that all these people go away without anything happening after what they do. In Barcelona a case was filed and I would like it not to happen so that people stop saying what they say".

After this question, the Brazilian player referred to the match against Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu, his home ground. "It's a dream come true, I'm very happy to be able to play at home with the Brazilian national team. It's going to be a very important match for both teams, which are two of the best national teams in the world. We're ready, I'm going to play against my team-mates, and I hope to beat Spain," he said.

Returning to racism, the Brazilian player highlighted the role of La Liga in putting an end to this scourge, unlike other organisations such as UEFA or FIFA. With every complaint, I feel worse, but I have to come here and show my face. I am not fighting against the fans in Spain, I am fighting against racism in the world. I have asked for help from UEFA, FIFA, Conmebol, CBF... they are big groups and they can fight against it. The problem in Spain is that racism is not a crime," he said.

Despite everything he is going through, Vinicius made it very clear that he has never considered leaving the Spanish league: "I've never thought about leaving La Liga because otherwise, I'd give the racists what they want. I'm going to stay at the best club in the world, scoring lots of goals so that they keep watching me. The racists are a minority. As I'm a player who plays for Madrid and we win a lot of titles... it's very complicated. I'm going to continue because the president supports me, the club supports me and I'm going to continue to win a lot of things".

 

March 25, 2024