Atletico Madrid have finally addressed the racism suffered by Vinicius Junior at the Civitas Metropolitano on Sunday night.
The Brazilian star was subjected to songs outside the stadium before the match stating ‘Vinicius is a monkey’, which was carried on by some in the stadium during Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Los Rojiblancos on Sunday.
Since, La Liga have begun investigating the matter, while the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the State Secretary for Sport have also weighed in on the chief talking point from the weekend.
Comunicado oficial https://t.co/P0P5MlHMhw
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 20, 2022
Atletico Madrid released a statement on Tuesday evening about the matter, stating that they condemning the behaviour of the minority of Atleti fans and that it had no place at their club. They are also fully cooperating with the authorities to try and identify the culprits. Anyone who is found to be guilty of racism will then be expelled from the club if they are members.
For many, this feels like the bare minimum that Atletico Madrid could have done in this situation. Los Colchoneros have a long history of problematic fans in the Frente Atletico group, connected to neo-nazism, which has never been properly addressed by the club.
Given the number of videos and the number of identifiable faces in them, a significant number of expulsions from the club should also be expected.
Full Statement:
Our club has always been known for being an open and inclusive space for fans of different nationalities, cultures, races, and social classes, and a few cannot tarnish the image of thousands and thousands of Atleti fans who support their team with passion and respect for their opponents.
These chants provoke enormous repulsion and indignation. We will not allow any individual to hide behind our colors to utter insults of a racist or xenophobic nature. At Atletico de Madrid, we have zero tolerance for racism, our commitment to the fight against this social scourge is total, and we will not stop until we eliminate it. To this end, we have contacted the authorities to offer them our full cooperation in the investigation of the events that took place outside the stadium. We ask them to identify the people who participated to proceed with the immediate expulsion of those who are members of the club.
We would also like to invite all professionals involved in the world of football to reflect deeply. Making clear once again our strongest condemnation of these events, which have no justification whatsoever, we believe that what has happened in the days leading up to the derby is unacceptable. Fans are asked for sanity and rationality, and during the week, professionals from different fields generated an artificial campaign, lighting the fuse of controversy without measuring the repercussions of their actions and manifestations.
The pain felt by the Red & White family for this event is enormous. We cannot allow anyone to link our fans with this behavior and question our values because of a minority that does not represent us. Our decision is firm and emphatic. We will not stop until we expel those involved from the Red and White family because they cannot be part of it.
