04/06/26 10:42:00
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04/06 09:26 CDT Vincius Jnior hails Lamine Yamal for condemning anti-Muslim
chants
Vincius Jnior hails Lamine Yamal for condemning anti-Muslim chants
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) --- Real Madrid forward Vincius Jnior praised Barcelona star
Lamine Yamal for publicly condemning anti-Muslim chants in a recent match,
saying players need to stick together in the fight against discrimination.
Vincius spoke Monday, less than a week after Yamal criticized the chants by
Spanish fans in Spain's friendly against Egypt last Tuesday. Yamal, who is
Muslim, said the chants were disrespectful and intolerable.
Vincius, a Brazil international, has been often subjected to racist taunts
while playing in Europe and is vocal about the fight against racism. He said
"it's always complicated" to talk about the subject but "these things happen a
lot."
"Hopefully we can continue with this fight," he said. "It's important that
Lamine speaks about it. It could help others. We are famous, we have money, we
can balance these things better, but the poor people and the Blacks who are
everywhere, they surely struggle more than we do. So we have to stick together,
those who have a stronger voice, the players ..."
In a Champions League match last month in Lisbon, Vincius accused Benfica
player Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a monkey after the Brazil forward
celebrated in front of the home fans when he scored for Madrid. Benfica fans
insulted Vincius from the stands.
"I'm not saying that Spain or Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but
there are racists in these countries, and in Brazil and other countries as
well," Vincius said. "But if we keep fighting together, I think future players
and people in general won't have to go through this again."
Vincius spoke on the eve of the first leg between Madrid and Bayern Munich in
the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
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