Xavi on Vinicius Junior racism – ‘The games have to be stopped. This is a message to the President’

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has spoken to the media ahead of their trip to Real Valladolid on Tuesday night, with one of the key topics being the racism suffered by Vinicius Junior on Sunday night against Valencia. Xavi took the chance to make a number of strong comments on the matter.

Early on in the press conference, Xavi was asked for his opinion on the matter, and asked for the eradication of racism.

“In general, unfortunately, there are cases of racism. Unfortunately. It’s a shame. It’s sad and unfortunate that it happens in 2023. We have to condemn them, regardless of badges, players or clubs. We must condemn them, like Vinicius yesterday in Valencia, Valencia are already doing so. Racism must be eradicated once and for all.”

It was then suggested that perhaps matches should be stopped in cases of racism. There was a point where it looked as if Real Madrid-Valencia may well be, but clubs have two warnings over racism before the third, where it would be halted by the referee.

“The games have to be stopped. I’ve always thought so. We’re the only place where insults are accepted, it’s the only sport in which it is accepted. I’m working and they call me the son of such and such, you can imagine… I don’t see a baker or a journalist putting up with this. If there are insults, then we stop playing. It’s a message to the president of the League, the Federation…”

He then used the topic to ask for a more general stop to the culture of insulting the opposition at games.

“I don’t think I should have to put up with an insult. Insult a worker, they will throw a brick at your head. I don’t have to put up with insults during my working hours and impudence of all kinds. You have to say enough is enough.”

In terms of solutions, Xavi pointed towards education.

“It is an educational issue. You have to educate people so that they are not going to insult people on the pitch. I do not go to the theater to insult. It is not positive for society.”

He was also asked about Vinicius’ statement on social media that Spain and La Liga were racist.

“I don’t think there is much point in saying that Spain or the League is racist, but there are racist acts. And they must be condemned. We are in an environment where we are insulted and have all sorts of things said to us. We are asked to be role models, but it’s hard when they insult you the whole time. It’s hard not to get angry, and that happens to Vinicius. And to any player. You have to have a favourable environment. And that’s sad.”

Former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o was once abused racially at Real Zaragoza while Xavi was playing.

“I wasn’t at La Romareda, I experienced it from home. I was injured. You have to stop the game. You have to stop this. I don’t care about Vinicius, Eto’o, the badge or the insult. You don’t have to put up with these situations. It’s very unpleasant. It doesn’t happen in other sports, in tennis, in golf – shhh, let them concentrate… What happens in football? We have to say enough is enough. Stop the game and let’s go home.”

Xavi could not have been more clear on the issue, and his suggestion that games are stopped may well move forward that idea as a realistic counter-measure, even at the first sign of racial abuse. Perhaps it was not the right moment to open the conversation out into a more general idea of changing the culture of insulting players altogether, when it has been hard enough for racism to get the attention it deserves in recent months.

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