MADRID, 24 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, regretted this Wednesday that “an important part” of the people did not “understand” his message to Vinícius after the racist incident that occurred last Sunday at Mestalla, far from the interpretation of “attacking” the player.
“Here is a subject that I always tell my (communications) team: when many people understand the message in some way, they are right. So, I have to regret it,” he said in an interview with ESPN, collected by Europa Press.
Tebas pointed out that with his message he wanted to remember that the Madrid player supported LaLiga’s measures against racism not long ago. “I think that the message, and the intention that it had, an important part, especially in Brazil, did not understand it. I did not want to attack Vinícius, but if the majority of the people understood it like this, I need to apologize”, he stated.
“It was not my intention to express myself badly, at a bad time, but I did not intend to attack Vinícius, but rather to clarify a situation, because Vinícius had recorded a video supporting the performance of LaLiga”, he argued, explaining the exchange of messages that was rising in the criticism of the Brazilian.
Thebes insisted on his apology and recalled the importance of Vinícius for LaLiga. “I’m sorry for what happened, and that’s why we denounce it. And we don’t just denounce it: we take special actions in their matches. We speak with the clubs, so that they provide more security, identify the fans. LaLiga takes care of Vinícius. And, if they understood the tweet was wrong, I have to apologize,” he said.
“After Vinícius had a not-so-brilliant first season and Messi left, they asked me in an interview who was the ‘boy’ who stayed in Spain, and I answered that Vinícius. I’m not saying now. For me, Vinícius is a asset of Real Madrid, of Spanish football, and we want him with us”, he concluded.