Brazil and Spain will play a friendly match at the Santiago Bernabeu in March of next year in support of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr., as part of a comprehensive anti-racism campaign, declared Luis Rubiales, head of the Spanish FA (RFEF), on Tuesday.
The presidents of the Spanish and Brazilian Football Associations (CBF), Luis Rubiales and Ednaldo Rodrigues, respectively, met in Madrid to inaugurate their joint movement aimed at combating racism, united under the slogan “One skin.”
This collaboration comes in response to the racist insults endured by 22-year-old Vinicius during a LaLiga match against Valencia in May, marking the tenth such incident reported by LaLiga to prosecutors this season. Rodrigues emphasized the necessity of imposing stricter penalties on cases of racism within the football community, going beyond fines and holding clubs accountable. The CBF was the first football federation to adopt more severe sanctions for racism, including point deductions in league standings, stadium closures, and even lifetime expulsions of club members.
Last month, the CBF initiated a national campaign against racism in Brazilian league matches, utilizing the slogan “There is no game with racism.” As part of their preparations, Brazil, a five-time world champion, is currently in the region for matches against Guinea in Barcelona on Saturday and Senegal in Lisbon three days later.
The CBF has worked closely with Vinicius to ensure his comfort and involvement in the planning of these two friendlies, given their location in Iberia. Sources indicate that the talented winger fully supports the idea and its objectives.
