Barcelona star Raphinha sends supportive message to Vinicius Jr then shown yellow card
Barcelona forward Raphinha was shown a yellow card for removing his shirt to reveal a supportive message to Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid’s ‘ 1-0 victory over Valencia at the Mestalla was overshadowed when the 22-year-old was subject to racist abuse from some home fans.
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Many high-profile names have since spoken out in support of the Brazil international including his boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Raphinha, though, decided to physically show his support to his fellow countryman by removing his shirt in Barcelona’s 3-1 defeat over Real Valladolid on Tuesday night.
The message in Portuguese translates to: “As long as the colour of the skin is more important than the brightness of the eyes, there will be war.”
The back of his vest read: “We are together, Vinicius.”
Raphinha’s message came on the same night Valencia were hit with a partial stadium closure following the despicable chants directed at the star.
Vinicius Jr was shown a red card in match, which has since been overturned, and LaLiga have handed the club a fine of €45,000 (£40,000).
A statement from the Spanish Football Federation read: “The competition committee has sanctioned Valencia CF with the partial closure of the Mestalla stadium for five matches, more specifically the Mario Kempes south stand, following the events that occurred during the First Division National League Championship match between the local team and Real Madrid CF.
“It is considered proven that, as reflected by the referee in his minutes, there were racist shouts at Vinicius, a Real Madrid CF player, during the aforementioned match, altering the normal course of the match and considering the infractions very serious.”
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