Barcelona's Raphinha does Controversial Gesture, removes shirt to reveal his Support for Madrid's Vinicius Jr

Vinicius Jr. Racism Row: Raphinha received a yellow card on Tuesday evening for revealing a message of solidarity with Vinicius Jr, who had experienced racial abuse during a recent match involving Real Madrid and Valencia. This gesture from FC Barcelona star towards the Real Madrid player is a heartning one which shows how sports can unite all despite fierce rivalries. Follow all La Liga Updates Live with InsideSport.IN

The incident occurred when the game at Mestalla Stadium was momentarily interrupted due to the sickening racist remarks directed at the 22-year-old Vinicius Jr by a section of the home crowd.

"Hasta que el color de la piel de un hombre no tenga más importancia que el color de sus ojos, habrá guerra."

El mensaje de Raphina en apoyo a Vinicius JR. 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/sQLUJb33Wb
— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) May 23, 2023

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Vinicius Jr. Racism Row: Lots of players supported Brazilian

The distressing incidents witnessed in recent days have sparked widespread condemnation across Europe.

Numerous prominent figures have expressed their solidarity with Vinicius Jr, who not only endured racist abuse but was also shown a red card by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea in the final moments of the LaLiga match.

Valencia emerged victorious with a 1-0 win.

In a remarkable gesture, Raphinha, a player for Barcelona and bitter rivals of Real Madrid, took his support for Vinicius Jr to the next level during Barcelona’s 3-1 defeat against Real Valladolid on Tuesday night.

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What was the message on Raphinha shirt?

Substituted towards the end of the game, the former Leeds player, now representing Barcelona, received a booking for taking off his Barcelona shirt.

Underneath, he wore a vest bearing a powerful message: “As long as the color of the skin is more important than the brightness of the eyes, there will be war.” The back of the vest displayed the words: “We are together, Vinicius.“

Raphinha’s moving display of support coincided with the Spanish Football Federation’s decision to impose a partial stadium closure on Valencia.

This action was taken in response to the appalling chants directed at Vinicius Jr during the match on Sunday.

Vinicius Jr. Racism Row: Statement from the Spanish FA

The statement from the Spanish Football Federation read: “The competition committee has sanctioned Valencia CF with the partial closure of the Mestalla stadium for five matches, more specifically the Mario Kempes south stand, following the events that occurred during the First Division National League Championship match between the local team and Real Madrid CF.

“It is considered proven that, as reflected by the referee in his minutes, there were racist shouts at Vinicius, a Real Madrid CF player, during the aforementioned match, altering the normal course of the match and considering the infractions very serious.

“In addition, an economic sanction of 45,000 euros is imposed on Valencia.”

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