Real Madrid have started the season comfortably, notching two wins away from home against Athletic Club and Almeria, but one of the things that has been notable in both victories is the comparative lack of aggression compared to last season.
Vinicius Junior was consistently racially abused last season away from home, and when he wasn’t, became the centre of attention for both fans and players as the latter tried to knock him off his game.
Speaking to Radio TV Serie A (via Diario AS), Real Madrid Manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked about racism in Spain.
“You cannot live with this problem, you have to try to eliminate it. I have to say that, in the first games we played, the atmosphere around Vinicius improved and there was no kind of insult.”
He noted that the rules around racism have changed too.
“Hopefully it doesn’t happen, but there are rules that allow the referee to stop the match. What I do with him in those cases is show him support in moments that are very sad for everyone.”
The racial abuse came to a head at Mestalla last season, when Vinicius called out individual fans in the crowd. It is no surprise that Ancelotti mentions the rules, as one of the things that was criticised last season was the lack of protection from officials and La Liga in the face of the abuse.
