Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr has responded strongly after a Spanish agent used a racial slur on live TV while criticising his goal celebration on Friday.
Vinicius Jr insisted he “will not stop dancing” as he released a statement on social media in response to the racist comment by Pedro Bravo, president of the Spanish Football Agents’ Association (AEAF).
While discussing Vinicius Jr during a live TV broadcast on Spanish channel El Chiringuito on Friday, Bravo said: “You have to respect your opponents. When you score a goal, if you want to dance Samba, you should go to sambodromo in Brazil. You have to respect your mates and stop playing the monkey.”
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Vinicuis Jr since responded through a video released on Twitter, saying: “As long as the colour of the skin is more important than the brightness of the eyes, there will be war. I have that phrase tattooed on my body. I have this thought permanently in my head. And I have attitudes in my life that turn this philosophy into reality. They say that happiness bothers. The happiness of a black Brazilian being successful in Europe bothers much more. But my will to win, my smile and the sparkle in my eyes are much bigger than that. Don’t even try to imagine how much. These dances that are not mine. They belong to Ronaldinho, Neymar, [Lucas] Paqueta, [Antoine] Griezmann, Joao Felix, Matheus Cunha… they belong to Brazilian funk and samba artists, reggaeton singers, and black Americans. These are dances to celebrate the cultural diversity of the world. Accept it! Respect it! Or freak out! In any case, I will not stop.”
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBC) and Real Madrid both sided with the player. The CBC expressed its solidarity with Vinicius Jr in a statement, condemning the “racist statements.”
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Real Madrid said it rejected “all forms of racist and xenophobic speech,” and would “take legal action.” Bravo later apologised on Twitter, saying he had “badly used the expression… in a metaphorical way to mean ‘fooling around.’
