Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. has vowed to persist in his fight against racism after three Valencia fans were sentenced to prison for racially abusing him during a LaLiga match in May 2023.

The three supporters have each been sentenced to eight months in prison and banned from attending football matches for two years. These are the first criminal convictions for racially abusing a footballer in Spain.

Vinicius Jr., the current favorite for the Ballon d’Or after leading Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League glory last season, took to social media to respond to the convictions.

“Many told me to ignore it, and many others said my fight was in vain and that I should just ‘play football,'” he wrote. “But, as I’ve always said, I’m not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists.”

“This first criminal conviction in Spain’s history is not for me. It’s for all Black people. May other racists be afraid, ashamed, and hide in the shadows, or else I’ll be here to collect,” he continued.

Vinicius Jr. was subjected to derogatory chants, including ‘monkey’ during the game in May 2023.

He testified against the fans who abused him, and three supporters have now been given prison sentences.

Vinicius Jr. took to social media to respond to the criminal convictions.

“Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction. More to come,” he added.

Real Madrid released a statement revealing that the fans had accepted criminal responsibility and publicly apologized to Vinicius Jr.

Vinicius Jr. was left in tears on the pitch after being racially abused during Madrid’s match against Valencia at the Mestalla in the final weeks of the 2022-23 season.

It was the tenth time he had faced racist chants during the campaign, and he was sent off late in the game after an altercation with Valencia’s Hugo Duro.

The Spanish FA rescinded his red card, ensuring he did not receive a suspension, while they fined Valencia £40,000 and ordered one of their stands to be closed for five matches following the incident.

Valencia strongly condemned the racist chants and vowed to ban any fans responsible for life, but later accused Vinicius Jr. of telling “unfounded lies” when he testified against the three fans at a trial last October.

Despite the challenges, Vinicius Jr. remained resolute, although he admitted that the frequent abuse had taken a toll on him when he broke down in tears at a press conference ahead of Brazil’s friendly against England in March.

Reports circulated that Vinicius Jr. might leave Madrid after being “pushed to his limit” by the incident at the Mestalla, but the 23-year-old chose to stay.

Vinicius Jr. broke down at a press conference in March, admitting the impact of frequent racist abuse, but he still had an outstanding season with Madrid.

He went on to have an outstanding 2023-24 season under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions. He scored in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, securing Madrid’s 15th European Cup, and is now set to compete in the Copa America this summer.