Vinicius Jr has vowed to continue leading football’s fight against racism – from the front.
The Real Madrid superstar and Ballon d’Or favourite has established himself as an icon for the new generation, using his status to speak truth to power. Vinicius wept, earlier this year, as he spoke of Spanish football’s failure to protect him after SIXTEEN incidents of racist abuse aimed at him in 18 months.
Ahead of Thursday’s Champions League draw for the new season, the 24-year-old Brazilian – who scored to beat Dortmund in last season’s Final and land the trophy – declared he will not be silenced.
“Talking about racism is always very difficult because in the last season here in Madrid, “ he said. “It has happened to me a lot – and it’s not even close to what normal people suffer in the streets. So that interview was very important not only for me, but for all the people who trust me and gave me a lot of strength so I can keep fighting for all Black people who suffer daily.
