Photo: Getty Images
Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Jr. was left in tears while speaking about the racist abuse he faces as a Real Madrid player.
During a press conference on Monday (March 25), Vinicius got emotional as he discussed the racist abuse he's experienced over the past few years, including being persistently targeted, ignored by officials, and belittled because of the color of his skin, per CNN.
“I just want to play football, but it’s hard to move forward; I feel less and less like playing,” Vinicius said.
The press conference came ahead of an anti-racism exhibition match between Brazil and Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
Vincicius has previously been subjected to racist incidents, including "monkey" chants from fans in September 2022 and men hanging a racist effigy of the soccer star last year.
Despite the racism, Vinicius said he has no plans to leave Spain.
“It never crossed my mind because if I leave Spain, I give the racists exactly what they want,” the Real Madrid star said Monday.
“I will stay because that way the racists can continue to see my face more and more,” Vinicius continued. “I’m a bold player. I play for Real Madrid, and we win a lot of titles, and that doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.”
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