[Source: Reuters]

Four people have been given suspended jail sentences by a Madrid Court after being found guilty of a hate crime related to an effigy of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, Spain’s LaLiga said.

They were all involved in hanging a banner reading “Madrid hates Real” and an inflatable black effigy in a replica of the Brazilian’s No. 20 shirt on a bridge before a Copa del Rey match against Atletico Madrid in January 2023.

According to the ruling, one defendant was sentenced to 15 months in prison for a hate crime and an additional seven months for making threats, having distributed images of the act online.

The other three were sentenced to seven months in prison for hate crimes and seven months for threats.

They will not serve prison time, however, after all four signed a letter of apology to Vinicius, Real Madrid, LaLiga and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF).

“The defendant who posted the video online received a special disqualification from working in education, sports, or recreational youth settings for four years and three months, while the others received three years and seven months,” LaLiga said in a statement.

The first defendant was fined 1,084 euros ($1,250) and the other three 720 euros, with additional punishments including a 1,000-meter restraining order from Vinicius, his home and workplace, and a ban on approaching soccer stadiums during LaLiga or RFEF matches.

They will all be required to participate in an educational programme on equal treatment and non-discrimination in order for the prison sentences imposed to be suspended.

Real Madrid said 14 individuals have now been criminally convicted for racist attacks against their players and that they will continue working to eradicate racism from the sport.

“This criminal conviction adds to several others handed down in recent months for the racist abuse directed at Real Madrid players at the Zorrilla (Valladolid), Mestalla (Valencia), Son Moix (Palma de Mallorca), and Vallecas (Madrid) stadiums, as well as on online platforms,” Real said in a statement.

The 24-year-old Vinicius has been subjected to racial abuse on several occasions in Spain.

He said last year after finishing second in the voting for the Ballon D’Or that he will keep on fighting racism even if his activism is what led to him not winning the prestigious individual award.

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