Barcelona spokesperson Mikel Camps recently lashed out at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, claiming that the player was not a victim of racial abuse. He also went on to call the player a clown after Madrid’s game against Braga in the Champions League, criticising him for showboating and ‘unnecessary stepovers’ in the middle of the park.
“It’s not racism, he [Vinicius] deserves a slap for being a clown. What do these unnecessary and meaningless stepovers represent in the centre of the field?,” Camps wrote on X. However, following massive backlash from fans across the world, the post has now been deleted.
Barca spokesperson demands Vinicius Jr be slapped and calls him a clown
There have been multiple clear instances of racist abuse against Vinicius Jr across Spain. Most prominently, the fans at Valencia’s home ground, Mestalla, together abused the player which led to an on-field scuffle and ended in him getting sent off.
Recently, a similar issue occured at Sevilla’s stadium where fans were ejected for racist gestures against the player. Vinicius Jr lamented the issue on his social media profiles and urged the authorities to try and eradicate the issue to the best of their abilities.
He also urged the global bodies to combat racism as one of the foundations of the 2030 World Cup.
Real Madrid will face Barcelona next in El Clasico on October 28, where Vinicius Jr will have the chance to respond to these comments from a Barca member on the field.