In what La Liga said Monday was the first judicial ruling of its kind, a complaint brought directly by Spain’s top soccer league resulted in prison terms for three fans accused of heckling Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior in a racist manner during a match last year.
A court in Valencia, where the incident took place in May 2023, sentenced the fans to eight months each in prison after they made monkey-like gestures and sounds aimed at Vinícius, a Black Brazilian. In addition, the fans have to pay court fees and are banned for two years from La Liga games and matches involving the Spanish national team.