VALENCIA FANS JAILED FOR REAL MADRID'S VINICIUS RACIAL ABUSE

Vinícius Júnior appeared in court to testify in the case against the Valencia fans. OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images

 Three fans have been sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from stadiums for two years over the racist abuse of Vinícius Júnior at Mestalla in May 2023.

The incident -- which took place during Real Madrid's 1-0 LaLiga defeat to Valencia -- sparked uproar worldwide, after the Brazil star identified an individual in the crowd who had been racially abusing him, causing the game to be suspended.

Vinícius later hit out at Spanish authorities' handling of the issue, saying "racism is normal in LaLiga," while the league called for greater powers to deal with the problem.

LaLiga praised the guilty verdict, saying it was the first of its kind in Spain.

"This ruling is great news regarding the fight against racism in Spain," LaLiga president Javier Tebas said. "It redresses the wrong suffered by Vinícius Júnior and sends a clear message to those people who go to a football stadium to hurl abuse. LaLiga will identify them, report them and there will be criminal consequences for them."

"I understand that there may be some frustration at the length of time it takes for these sentences to be handed down, but this shows that Spain is a country that guarantees judicial integrity. LaLiga can only respect the pace of justice, and once again demand that Spanish legislation evolves so that LaLiga has sanctioning powers that can speed up the fight against racism."

In a statement on Monday, Real Madrid said it would continue to work to eliminate racism.

"The three accused have accepted their criminal responsibility and have made public a letter of apology addressed to Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid C.F. and other people who felt denigrated and offended by their behavior," the statement read.

"This is the first conviction for acts of this nature handed down by criminal courts and tribunals.

"Real Madrid, which participated in this prosecution together with Vinícius Júnior, will continue working to protect the values of our club and eradicate any racist behavior in the world of football and sport."

- Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez

JAY-Z CELEBRATES REAL MADRID'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WIN WITH VINICIUS JÚNIOR SELFIE

ADAM VAUGHAN/EFE

 The Brazilian attacker, who scored Madrid’s second goal against Dortmund at Wembley, caught up with the rapper after lifting the trophy.

Real Madrid won the Champions League/European Cup for the 15th time in their history against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, where a whole host of stars turned out to watch the biggest game in club soccer.

Many of them were among the sport’s biggest names, including former Madrid star Gareth Bale, ex-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp and Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, others were names we perhaps might associate less with “the beautiful game,” including pre-game performer Lenny Kravitz and rapper Jay-Z, who watched on from the stands.

What is Jay-Z’s connection to Vinícius Júnior? Why did they take a selfie together?

The 54-year-old, real name Shawn Corsy Carter, does, however, have a close link to one of the men who decided the game in the Spanish team’s favour: Vinicius Junior.

After Real Madrid had secured the win and lifted the trophy, the Brazilian winger briefly interrupted his celebrations with his teammates to take a selfie with the musician. Roc Nation Sports, a sports management company founded by Jay-Z in 2013, last year acquired the Brazilian TFM agency, which represents Vinícius, who scored the LaLia giants’ second goal against Dortmund.

The rapper also has another tie to soccer through his friendship with former Arsenal, Barcelona and New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry and has previously spoken of his liking for The Gunners. Reports even surfaces that at one point he had contemplated investing in the Premier League club.

- Roddy Cons