“Messi and Cristiano were the ones who received the most insults" - La Liga president makes claim when discussing Vinicius Jr incident
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently claimed that like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Vinicius Junior is now receiving the most insults from opposition fans.
The main reason behind his claim is the fact that the Brazilian, much like the two aforementioned superstars, is among the league's best players at this point in time. He added that while Ronaldo received homophobic insults, Messi was mocked for his intellectual ability.
Tebas recently said (h/t Madrid Zone on Twitter):
“The great players like Ronaldo and Messi were the ones who received the most insults. For one it was h*mophobic insults and for the other it was intellectual disability.”
He added:
“Messi and Cristiano were the ones who received the most insults, now it's Vinicius because he's a great player.”
The Brazilian attacker has been one of Real Madrid's best players in recent seasons. He has once again been crucial this season, scoring 23 goals and providing 21 assists in 54 matches across competitions.
However, since arriving in Spanish football, the youngster has been the subject of vile racist chants from fans. During Real Madrid's 1-0 La Liga loss against Valencia at the Mestalla, he was treated very poorly by opposition fans. The matter has since become a controversial one in the media.
La Liga president Javier Tebas recently apologized to Vinicius Junior
After Vinicius Junior was the subject of racist hurls at the Mestalla, the Brazilian spoke out on social media on the matter. He claimed that the league has not taken the proper necessary steps to prevent the issue.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has since claimed that the Brazilian didn't appear for the scheduled discussions about the issue. Tebas, however, recently apologized for his comments, telling (via Indian Express):
"I have to say I was wrong I have to apologize and ask for forgiveness for that tweet. We love Vinicius and we have appealed to courts, it has been a long while. We are onto this, we want to defend Vinicius and we will keep doing it.”
He added:
"If this tweet was misinterpreted, and it surely happened because a lot of people took it in a different way, I have to apologize. And nothing else."
The issue of racist attacks by fans is a very serious one and proper measures should be taken sooner rather than later. Whether the league can do so remains to be seen.