Vinicius Junior Welcomes Jail Sentence For Racially Abusive Fans

Vinicius Junior welcomed the eight-month prison sentences handed down on Monday to three Valencia fans for racially abusing him during a La Liga match last year. "This first criminal conviction in Spanish history is not for me. It's for all black people," the Real Madrid and Brazil attacker posted on social media. "But, as I've always said, I'm not a victim of racism. I'm a destroyer of racists. Let the other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I'll be here to collect the debt," he wrote.

"Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping to bring about this historic verdict. There's more to come..."

The defendants, who were not identified, were convicted of an offence against moral integrity with the aggravating factor of racially motivated discrimination, the Valencia court said.

They were also slapped with a two-year match ban. With no previous criminal record, none will serve jail time as judges habitually suspend prison sentences of less than two years for first-time offenders. 

Spain's La Liga hailed the ruling as "the first sentence handed down for racist insults in a Spanish football stadium". 

"This sentence is very good news for the fight against racism in Spain," said La Liga president Javier Tebas. 

"It sends a clear message to anyone who goes to a football stadium to hurl insults that La Liga will find and prosecute them and that they will face criminal consequences."

Gianni Infantino, the president of world football's governing body FIFA, posted on Instagram the decision was "a positive step".

"Our message to people anywhere in the world who behave in a racist way when they are dealing with football is clear: we don't want you," Infantino wrote.

The Brazilian football federation