Vini Jr sparks controversy over celebration, and Ancelotti supports him
Target of insults and swearing at Anoeta, Brazilian told Real Sociedad fans to shut up after scoring a goal in Real Madrid’s victory
Spain was in an uproar as Vinicius Junior celebrated the goal that opened Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga . Days after last Saturday’s triumph, the Brazilian forward received support from coach Carlo Ancelotti. The player was the target of insults and swearing from the opposing fans throughout the match at Anoeta. And he responded by making the gesture to shut up.
– It’s a reaction to a very ugly action. It happens often with him, insults from the beginning and I think no one can handle it, not even me. Him putting his hand over his mouth is quite normal given everything he’s going through – said the coach, in a press conference this Monday.
What has happened to Vinicius in recent years is something that cannot be tolerated. I can understand booing an opponent, but who can tolerate an insult? It is not normal. We need to focus less on the figure of this young man and more on what happens in the stadiums. They do this to Vinicius because he is a danger on a sporting level and they try to take him out of the game.
— Carlo Ancelotti
World Cup and Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 1998, Predrag Mijatovic criticised the celebration, asking “why does he have to do that?”
Vini Jr has been a constant target of rival fans in recent years, including suffering racial abuse on several occasions. The striker has already indicated that Real Madrid players should leave the field in the event of racism in the stadium .
Vini Jr has already taken legal action in Spain seeking punishment for racist attacks against him. In June, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for racist attacks during a match at Mestalla in May 2023. The sentence was unprecedented in Spain.
Real Madrid are third in La Liga with 11 points, behind only Barcelona (15) and Atlético de Madrid (11). The team will make their Champions League debut on Tuesday against Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu.
