PSG superstar Neymar sends message to Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr after latest racism incident

PSG superstar Neymar came in support of Vinicius Junior
PSG superstar Neymar (right) came out in support of Vinicius Junior.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar Jr. extended support for Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior. The Los Blancos attacker was the subject of racism during his team's 1-0 La Liga loss against Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday (May 21).

During the game, home fans constantly hurled racist slurs at Vinicius. The game was also stopped at one instance, as the youngster and his teammates pointed out a provocateur in the crowd.

Neymar has now shown his support for his international teammate. The PSG superstar posted a photo of Vinicius on Instagram story, writing:

"With you."

Vinicius, meanwhile, posted on Twitter about his latest racism experience:

"It wasn't the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it's normal, the Federation does too and the opponents encourage it. I'm so sorry. The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to racists.
"A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export the image of a racist country to the world. I'm sorry for the Spaniards who don't agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists. And unfortunately, for everything that happens each week, I have no defence. I agree. But I am strong, and I will go to the end against racists, even if far from here."

Real Madrid, meanwhile, suffered their second straight loss across competitions. Before the Valencia clash, they lost 4-0 at Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinals in midweek to be eliminated from the competition.

Los Blancos are third in the league with 71 points from 35 games. They trail city rivals Atletico Madrid by a point.


Lucas Vasquez on racism faced by Real Madrid teammate Vinicius

While Real Madrid's defeat was a shock result, football took a back seat on the day, as there are more important issues to address for fans and players.

The way Vinicius Junior has been heckled by fans has been deemed unacceptable by many. His teammate Lucas Vasquez echoed the same sentiment (via France 24):

"Football goes into the background today. We lived through something difficult to explain. That there's still racism happening at a ground is unacceptable. They will have to take a lot of measures."

What action La Liga takes following the latest incident remains to be seen. However, it's appalling to a talented young player like Vinicius been treated by fans.

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