Barcelona issued an apology to Vinícius Júnior after a club director’s insensitive comments regarding the racist abuse directed at the Real Madrid forward.
Miquel Camps, a member of Barça’s board, made these remarks on X (formerly known as Twitter) in response to Vinícius’ performance during Real Madrid’s Champions League victory over Braga on Tuesday. Camps swiftly deleted his post, but it had already garnered significant attention in Spain.
“It’s not racism, he deserves a slap for being a clown and a joker, what do those unnecessary and pointless stepovers in the middle of the pitch mean?” Camps wrote.
Rafa Yuste, the vice president of Barça, has said that the tweet was inappropriate and will not occur again following the Catalan team’s triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.
“If Vinícius is listening to me, I want to say that this will not be repeated,” Yuste told Movistar. “Even if it was a mistake, it should not have been posted. It was an inappropriate [post].”
Vinícius Júnior has unfortunately been subjected to racist abuse by opposition fans during several LaLiga matches, including a recent incident in Sevilla. The Brazilian international recently provided testimony in the trial of three Valencia fans who faced accusations of racially abusing him during a game in May.
These comments have further intensified the atmosphere leading up to the eagerly anticipated Clásico at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday, where Barcelona will face off against Real Madrid for the first time this LaLiga season.
In contrast to the rising tension, Barcelona’s coach, Xavi Hernandez, has called for a reduction in hostilities ahead of the match.
“If he deleted it, there is no need for me to say anything,” he said in a news conference when asked for his thoughts on Camps’ comment. “I don’t like anything that generates tension, whether it’s trying to condition referees or this tweet. We need a Clásico with fair play and with mutual admiration.
“I won’t be the person to generate any tension. Asking about these things also creates a bad atmosphere.”