Seven people have been arrested in connection with two separate racist incidents involving the Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, Spanish police said on Tuesday.
Three of the arrests — in Valencia — were related to racist abuse aimed at Vinicius during Madrid’s LaLiga defeat at Mestalla on Sunday. Four arrests in Madrid involve the hanging of a mannequin wearing a Vinicius shirt from a bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground in January.
The abuse suffered by Vinicius at Mestalla has sparked a global outcry, especially in Brazil, where politicians, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, players and clubs have come out in support of the player, criticising the handling of racism in Spanish football.
Sunday’s game stopped for almost 10 minutes when Vinicius identified a Valencia fan behind the goal as having racially abused him, while videos on social media showed fans abusing the Brazil international before and during the match.
The lights on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue were switched off for an hour on Monday in a display of solidarity with the player.
The bridge incident occurred in January, ahead of the Copa del Rey match between Real Madrid and local rivals Atletico Madrid.
