MADRID-
Seven people accused of racially abusing Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior have been arrested in Spain, police said Tuesday.
Three were arrested in Valencia for alleged abuse against Vinicius in a Spanish League match on Sunday. Four were arrested in Madrid for allegedly hanging an effigy of the player on a highway bridge in January.
The arrests come after an outpouring of support for Vinicius after he said he was abused in Valencia. The case sparked a widespread backlash from sports figures and government officials in Spain and around the world.
The nation has been criticized for its lack of action in cases of racism in soccer. Brazilian government officials, including President Luiz Inรกcio Lula da Silva, have publicly expressed their concerns.
Vinicius, who is black, has been the target of repeated racist taunts since he arrived in Spain five years ago, and especially this season after he started celebrating his goals by dancing.
The Brazilian has harshly criticized Spanish football for not doing more to curb racism.
The match against Valencia was temporarily halted after Vinicius said a fan behind one of the goals called him a monkey and made monkey gestures towards him. Vinicius considered leaving the field but finally continued playing.
Vinicius' effigy was hung around his neck the morning of a derby between Real Madrid and Atlรฉtico de Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Next to him was a banner with the words "Madrid hates Real".
The perpetrators used a black figure by the name of Vinicius, tied a rope around his neck and hung him from an overpass while it was still dark in the Spanish capital.
Police said three of those arrested belonged to one of Atlรฉtico's fan groups and the other was a supporter of the group. Some had criminal records with the police for other crimes.
The hate message on the banner is often used by Atlรฉtico's hardcore fans, although at the time they denied being responsible for the display.
The men arrested are between the ages of 19 and 24. Authorities said some were previously identified during matches considered a high risk of violence. Police showed footage of them arriving handcuffed and escorted by officers on Tuesday.
Spanish media said police used security cameras to identify the perpetrators but no action had been taken so far. Police did not say whether the timing of the arrests had anything to do with the widespread attention the latest abuse against Vinicius received on Sunday.
The lights of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro were turned off on Monday night in a show of solidarity with Vinicius.
"It is a solidarity action that moves", Vinicius said on Twitter. "But more than anything, what I want is to inspire and bring more light to our fight."
Vinicius appreciated all the support he has received in recent months in Brazil and abroad.
"I know who you are," he said. "Count on me, because the good guys are the majority and I'm not going to give up. I have a purpose in life, and if I have to continue to suffer so that future generations don't have to go through this kind of situation, I am ready and prepared."
Valencia sanctioned for life a fan identified for insulting Vinicius during the match. Real Madrid took the case to the prosecution as a hate crime.
The Spanish league has filed nine criminal complaints for cases of racial abuse against Vinicius in the last two seasons, most of them filed by the prosecution.
The league said Tuesday it will seek to increase its authority to issue hate crime penalties during games. He had been saying that he can only detect and report incidents to the authorities and to the country's soccer federation.
Fans have been fined and banned from stadiums for their abuses against Vinicius, but so far only one Mallorca fan can end up on trial for allegedly racially insulting the Brazilian during a match.
The first trial against a fan accused of racial abuse in Spanish professional football is expected to take place sometime this year; the case involved Athletic Bilbao striker Iรฑaki Williams, who was insulted by an Espanyol supporter in a match in 2020.
