Spanish fans given suspended jail terms for racist abuse of Vinícius
All defendants had reached an agreement with the public prosecutor's office before the start of the trial at a regional court in Valladolid, La Liga announced on Wednesday.
MADRID - Five football fans in Spain have each been given a one-year suspended prison sentence for aiming racist abuse at Real Madrid's Brazil star Vinícius Junior, reported German news agency dpa.
All defendants had reached an agreement with the public prosecutor's office before the start of the trial at a regional court in Valladolid, La Liga announced on Wednesday.
It is a "milestone" as it is the first conviction in Spain "that categorises racist abuse in stadiums as a hate crime," the league said.
According to the judiciary, the defendants admitted to insulting the Madrid winger during a league match at Real Valladolid in December 2022.
They were also fined up to €1,620 (US$1,387) and banned from working in education, leisure and sport for four years.
In order to avoid a prison sentence, they must not re-offend within three years and cannot enter any sports stadiums in the country when official competitions are being held.
"This is a decisive step in the fight against racism in sport," emphasised La Liga in its press release.
Spain has long had a major problem with racism in stadiums and has previously been accused of not coming down hard enough on offenders. - BERNAMA-dpa
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