Justice Served: Sentencing in Racist Incidents in Spanish Football
The Instruction Court number 3 of Palma has delivered a significant ruling against racism in sports, sentencing a perpetrator to one year in prison and a three-year ban from entering stadiums. This ruling comes in response to racist incidents that targeted Vinicius Junior and Samu Chukwueze during LaLiga matches held at the Son Moix Stadium in early 2023.
The first incident occurred on February 5, 2023, during a match between RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid, followed by another racially charged occurrence on February 18 during a game between Mallorca and Villarreal. Following these events, LALIGA took the initiative to report the offenses, which were classified as Crimes against Moral Integrity with an emphasis on the aggravating factor of discrimination based on racial grounds.
The court ruled that each incident warranted a separate penalty, leading to two cumulative sentences of six months in prison, totaling one year, alongside a prohibition of 18 months from entering any LaLiga or Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) stadiums. Notably, while the court acknowledged the severity of the crimes, it also considered the defendant’s remorse as a mitigating factor.
In a separate yet related case, another instance of racism targeted Real Madrid player Aurélien Tchouaméni on April 13, when a minor insulted him and threw water bottles onto the pitch. Instead of pursuing criminal charges, authorities reached an extrajudicial compensation agreement. The minor involved has agreed to issue apologies to Tchouaméni, Real Madrid, and LALIGA, as well as participate in specific socio-educational programs set forth by the Juvenile Section of the Provincial Prosecutors Office of Palma de Mallorca.
In terms of restitution, this minor will also pay a total of €7000 — €4000 for the racial insults and €3000 for the objects thrown on the field — and will be blocked from entering LaLiga and RFEF venues for one year.
These verdicts reflect ongoing efforts to combat racism in football and promote moral integrity across sports in Spain. The outcomes serve as a reminder that discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated and that the justice system is capable of taking significant actions to uphold these values. As sporting authorities and clubs work to eradicate racism from the sport, these rulings may send a strong message to potential offenders — that there are consequences for actions that tarnish the integrity of sportsmanship.
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