BARCELONA, 24 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The FC Barcelona player Raphinha assured after showing his support for his compatriot and Real Madrid player Vinícius Jr., who suffered racist insults in Mestalla (Valencia), that he will “always” fight against racism as well as asking that those responsible for these acts “pay for it”.
“I wanted to show this message if I scored, but it didn’t happen. It came out for me to do it if it was changed, and it was like that. Whatever I can do for the issue of racism I will always do, I will always fight for it”, he assured on Barça TV .
Raphinha, when he was substituted in the second half of the game at José Zorrilla against Valladolid (3-1), showed an undershirt with the following message; “As long as the color of the skin is more important than the color of the eyes there will be war.” And, behind him, ‘TMJ, Vini jr’ (Portuguese acronym for ‘We are together, Vini jr’). A message, that of the motto of the frontal zone, obtained from the motto ‘War’ by Bob Marley and that Vinícius Jr. has tattooed.
“Things keep happening and nothing ever changes. Some people, the most powerful in countries and in the world, have to take action so that this can change, because the same thing always happens, that people look the other way as if it weren’t happening nothing. And it happens”, denounced the attacker of the FC Barcelona.
For Raphinha, racism in soccer exists, although some players “are more persecuted than others.” “But this always happens and it has to change, those responsible must pay for it”, sentenced the blaugrana.