Getty Images

'Spain is not a racist country' - Diego Simeone reacts to Vinicius Junior abuse and claims Diego Costa discrimination received less attention

Diego Simeone insists Spain is not a racist country after Vinicius Junior was racially abused by Valencia fans at the weekend.

Vinicius Jr pointed out racist fans
La Liga president has denied an issue exists
Simeone believes Spain is not racist

WHAT HAPPENED? Vinicius was racially abused by Valencia fans as Real Madrid lost 1-0 at the Mestalla at the weekend, with the Brazil international pointing out culprits in the stands. The game was stopped for a long period, and while it eventually resumed, Vinicius was sent off in injury time. He has since claimed that La Liga and Spain "belongs to racists", having been at the centre of numerous such incidents. He has been defended by the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, as well as his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

WHAT THEY SAID: Simeone, though, says that Spain is not racist, and believes that abuse suffered by Diego Costa, when he played for Atletico, has not received as much attention as the plight of Vinicius.

He said: “Spain is not a racist country. It is clear that when these situations appear is when you can give them more visibility. We who are exposed to it are seen more, but this is also found on the street. For me it is not a matter of what happens in a stadium, but it is on the street and young people must be taken care of.”

Article continues below

Asked about Costa, he added: “I do not justify anything and I will focus on what happened in Valencia. It is much deeper, much bigger, but as it happened with Real Madrid, it is much larger. It happens with the players, coaches, referees, linesmen, you know that.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: La Liga president Javier Tebas has defended his organisation, insisting they do plenty of anti-racism work, and has even implored Vinicius to "inform himself", but there have yet to be any sanctions against Valencia, or the fans involved. However, the club have confirmed that they have assisted police in identifying three fans who were involved.