Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, is the most recent person to respond to the racial slur directed towards Vinicius Jr during the game between Valencia and Real Madrid.
Infantino expressed his support for the Brazilian in a statement issued on Monday, May 22nd, 2023. According to the Swiss, FIFA frowns on any type of racism, particularly in football, and the organization will not tolerate such an incidence.
He also stated that the referee should have handled the matter in accordance with FIFA guidelines whenever a racial incident occurs during a football match.
Vinicius has my complete support. Racism has no place in sport or in society, and FIFA stands with all players who have been subjected to it. The events of the encounter between Valencia and Real Madrid demonstrate why this is the case. That is why, in FIFA competitions, the three-step procedure is used, and it is recommended at all levels of football.
Firstly, you stop the match, you announce it. Secondly, the players leave the pitch and the speaker announces that if the attacks continue, the match will be suspended. The match restarts, and then, thirdly, if the attacks continue, the match will stop and the three points will go to the opponent.
Vinicius Jr. called out the supporters who were criticizing him, causing the game to be halted for 10 minutes, and then got into a confrontation with Valencia’s players, leading to his dismissal in the second half. Real was defeated 1-0.
