Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior had his suspension lifted on Tuesday, May 23, as the red card he received during a match against Valencia was overturned.
The incident occurred when Vinicius confronted fans of the opposing team at the end of the match at Mestalla stadium. He pointed out one fan who had been racially abusing him and ended up slapping Valencia star Hugo Duro. This resulted in the Brazilian player receiving his first professional red card.
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Following criticism of how the incident was handled, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) took action. La Liga President Javier Tebas faced worldwide outrage after suggesting that Vinicius had not done enough to combat racism.
The RFEF responded by imposing a €45,000 (£39,000/$48,000) fine on Valencia for the racial abuse and ordering a partial closure of the club's stadium. Subsequently, the RFEF rescinded Vinicius' red card after reviewing video footage, in response to a complaint filed by Real Madrid.
The Spanish football federation's Competition Committee acknowledged that the initial footage did not capture Duro grabbing Vinicius around the neck just before the Brazilian player's reaction. As a result, Duro faced no punishment, and the on-field referee, Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea, was unaware of the events leading to Vinicius' slap.
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Initially facing a ban that would have kept him out for the rest of the season, Vinicius will now be available for selection again following the decision to overturn his red card. The VAR official on the day of the incident, Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva, has also been temporarily removed from his position.
Furthermore, the RFEF has launched a campaign titled 'Racists, out of football,' aimed at eliminating racist and xenophobic behavior from the sport. The campaign seeks to raise awareness among fans that discriminatory insults or attitudes will not be tolerated.
