Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has firmly criticised the reaction to Vinicius Junior’s testimony during a racism case in Valencia.
The Brazilian was in Valencia on Thursday to testify against three people accused of racially abusing him, and allegedly explained that the whole of Mestalla was hurling racist insults against him.
Furious that Vinicius blamed all of Mestalla, Valencia responded swiftly with a statement that ‘racism cannot be combated with lies, nor unfounded fallacies’. The following morning, Vinicius was on the front cover of Valencian-based sports paper Superdeporte as ‘Pinochius’, accusing him of lying too.
Asked whether he would take Vinicius back to Mestalla, Ancelotti told Marca that he felt angry.
“Of course I would call up Vinicius. Here they are trying to divert attention, because Vinicius has been the victim of racial insults. There are media outlets that want to divert attention from the real issue here and it makes me sad and angry. He was the victim here, who was victim of racial insults and there is a judicial process. It doesn’t matter if it was one [insult] or ten.”
The tie at Mestalla between the two does not take place until March. Asked how Vinicius was in general, Ancelotti had little doubt about is.
“Vini is very good, very motivated as always. Nobody knows what he said to the prosecutor, but he is very good.”
The Brazilian was the victim of racial abuse on at least ten occasions last season, and fortunately those scenes are yet to be repeated, although Vinicius has missed several games.
La Liga bannned a section of Mestalla for three games in the aftermath, but in general punishment was limited to individual fans. Hopefully last season was a low point.