Disciplinary Committee lifts Vinicius red card, closes Valencia stand

Xinhua
24 May 2023, 21:44 GMT+10

MADRID, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Football Federation's (RFEF) Disciplinary Committee has lifted the red card seen by Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr at the end of Sunday's La Liga game against Valencia, while sanctioning Valencia with the closure of one of their stands for five matches.

Vinicius was sent off after VAR images showed him hitting Valencia forward Hugo Duro in the face, although Duro had previously put the forward in a headlock in a free-for-all in the closing moments of the game, which Valencia won 1-0 to just about ensure their top-flight survival.

The 22-year-old had been subject to racist abuse prior to the game and with around 15 minutes to go, he pointed out someone in the stands who had also been insulting him due to the color of his skin, prompting match referee De Burgos Bengoetxea to initiate La Liga's anti-racism protocol.

Police have subsequently arrested three Valencia fans for racist abuse and the club has banned them for life.

Valencia also issued a statement criticizing the decision to close the Mario Kempes stand for five games, saying they "cannot accept the labeling of [Valencia fans] as racist. It is not true."

The club also says it is "collaborating with police and authorities to resolve the incidents which took place on Sunday." However, it added that "penalizing and stopping people who were not implicated in these lamentable incidents is a totally disproportionate and unjust measure without precedent," and says it will appeal against the closure.

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