Vinicius Jr was the subject of racial discrimination from Spanish Football Agents’ Association (AEAF) head Pedro Bravo, who urged the winger to “stop acting like a monkey”. The comment was made on the Chiringuito show, one of Spain’s top news outlets for football.
The remark was in the context of Vinicius Jr celebrating his goals with dance moves, as Brazilians have done over the years.
Vinicius Jr speaks out on criticism of dancing celebration
“I was the victim of xenophobia and racism in a single statement,” he said. “These are dances to celebrate the cultural diversity of the world. Whether you accept it, respect it or lose your mind about it, I’m not going to stop,” he said in a recorded address.
Alongside the statement from Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid have also commented on the matter. They have added that they will take legal action against Pedro Bravo for his comments.
Bravo took to Twitter later on to clear out the air, and said he “badly used the expression… in a metaphorical way to mean ‘fooling around.'” He apologised for his comments, but that has sparked outrage in Brazil, with #Bailavini trending (translated: dance, Vini).
Neymar and Pele have come out in support for the Real Madrid winger, and have commented on the matter through their own social media accounts.
