A friend and adviser to Brazilian star Vinicius was the victim of a racist act ahead of the friendly match between Brazil and Guinea on Saturday in Barcelona, the player and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have said. On the occasion of this match won 4-1 by the Brazilians, the Seleçao wore a black jersey to protest against racial discrimination, on the initiative of Vinicius, victim of racism on several occasions in the Spanish championship.
“While I was playing with the already historic black jersey and was moved, my friend was humiliated and mocked at the entrance to the stadium. The treatment suffered was sad, every moment they doubted the surreal scene that was unfolding. The backstage is disgusting. But so that everything is public, I ask those responsible: where are the images from the surveillance cameras? wrote the Real Madrid winger on his Twitter account.
A banana as a weapon
During the search at the entrance to the stadium, a security officer allegedly told 27-year-old Felipe Silveira: “Hands up, this is my weapon for you”, while taking a banana from his pocket, according to an excerpt from the complaint filed by the player’s friend, published by the Globo Esporte website.
Silveira and three other members of Vinicius’ staff complained to the agent and called the police to the scene, the Brazilian site adds. Images broadcast by the Brazilian channel SporTV show lively exchanges between the player’s friends and the staff of the sports arena. Both the agent and the security company denied the allegations, Brazilian media reported.
The CBF said it took action as soon as it became aware of the complaint and called on the police and match organizers to “give all their support and protection to yet another victim of racism, a crime that must be fought.” vehemently and relentlessly”. “Today, once again, another criminal has been publicly unmasked,” Ednaldo Rodrigues, president of Brazil’s football governing body, said in a statement.