Four individuals arrested in Spain for online hate campaign against Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr

MADRID - Spanish police have arrested four individuals for their alleged involvement in an online hate campaign targeting Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr. The suspects are accused of inciting racial abuse against the footballer through social media. The investigation is ongoing.

The men were detained on Oct 14 and 15 then released as investigations continued into social media slogans which urged fans to wear face masks so they could insult the Black Brazil international without being identified, police added.

They were the first detentions announced by police linked to the campaign, which set out to target the 24-year-old in the build-up to the Spanish capital's derby on Sept 29 at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium. It used the hashtag #MetropolitanoConMascarilla (Metropolitano with a Mask).

Vinicius Jr, who has faced abuse at a number of matches, in 2023 called LaLiga and Spain racist after receiving slurs from the stands during a match at Valencia's Mestalla stadium.

In a landmark case, three Valencia football fans were each sentenced to eight months in prison in June for hate crimes against Vinicius Jr - the first conviction for racist insults in a soccer stadium in Spain.

On Oct 24, Spain's National Police did not name the four men and there was no immediate statement from any lawyers representing them. Under Spanish legal procedures, a judge will investigate and eventually consider whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Police said the online campaign went viral, raising "significant social alarm". The investigation remains open and could lead to more arrests, the force added.

LaLiga stepped in the day before the clash, saying it was calling for the arrest of anyone involved in the campaign that it said amounted to the crime of incitement to hatred.

There were no major incidents of racial abuse reported at that match but the derby against Real Madrid was suspended for several minutes due to items being thrown onto the pitch.