7 people arrested after racial abuse against Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior

WARNING: This article contains media that details racial abuse which may disturb some readers.

Spanish police took action Tuesday after the latest case of abuse against Vinicius Junior, arresting seven people accused of racially insulting the Real Madrid player.

Spanish soccer officials also acted, fining Valencia 45,000 euros ($48,500 US) and closing part of the team's stadium for the next five games.

The arrests came after an outpouring of support for Vinicius after he said he was abused in Valencia. The case prompted widespread reaction from sports figures and government officials in Spain and worldwide.

The section of Mestalla Stadium that will be closed is where the insults against Vinicius came from, behind one of the goals. It's also where the club's more hardcore fans usually are located.

The Spanish federation's competition's committee also made the unusual decision to annul the red card shown to Vinicius after an altercation with Valencia players late in Sunday's match. The committee said video review failed to show the referee the entire altercation, including the part in which Vinicius was grabbed from behind by an opponent.

Vinicius had complained that his red card ended up being a reward to the racists who insulted him.

"It's a crucial moment, a moment to take drastic measures," Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday. "Now that the issue has visibility, the institutions have to take this opportunity to try to fix this problem."

All seven were arrested on suspicion of committing a hate crime, police said. None of them were publicly identified, and police did not discuss the timing of the arrests.

Vinicius, who is Black, has been subjected to repeated racist taunts since he arrived in Spain five