It has been a few of the most catastrophic weeks in Real Madrid and Spanish football history. The racist attacks against coloured footballers went to a whole new level in the country, especially against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, which led to the player going all out against the hypocrisy to fight for a change. 

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has apologised for suggesting Vinicius Junior was being “manipulated” when the Real Madrid winger called out racism he has suffered in Spain. The Brazil international took to social media to speak out after being abused in Sunday’s game at Valencia, saying it was a problem he had endured throughout the league. Follow your favourite La Liga team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet. 

Tebas’ response on Twitter, in which he said “Before you criticise and insult LaLiga, you need to inform yourself well, Vini Jr. Don’t let yourself be manipulated”, was roundly criticised for not addressing the issue and the LaLiga boss has now said sorry. “I think that the message, and the intention I had, was not understood by a significant number (of people), especially in Brazil,” he told ESPN Brazil.

While this controversy takes footballing world by a storm, Goals by Karim Benzema and Rodrygo earned Real Madrid a 2-1 win over mid-table Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday. During this match, fans and players showed their support for Vinicius Jr who was subjected to racial abuse over the weekend. 

Real’s Brazilian forward Vinicius received a tribute ahead of the game after being the target of racist insults during the 1-0 loss at Valencia on Sunday. “We are all Vinicius. Enough is enough” said a banner displayed behind one of the goals at the Santiago Bernabeu, among many other messages of support for him. 

Real’s players took to the pitch wearing shirts bearing Vinicius’s number 20 while the captains of both teams wore armbands carrying anti-racism messages. Dressed in street clothes and visibly agitated, Vinicius joined his team mates on the pitch for a standing ovation after all the players posed next to an official LaLiga banner “Racists, out of football”.

A knee issue forced Vinicius to miss training ahead of the fixture, Spanish media reported, and he watched the game sitting next to Real Madrid President Florentino Perez. While there are some rumours which suggest he might move out of the La Liga, Real Madrid are confident of keeping their star Brazilian. Get all the latest updates from the La Liga only on Nextbet Sports.