The arrests came after an outpouring of support for Vinícius Júnior after he said he was abused in Valencia.

MADRID (AP) — Spanish police took action Tuesday after the latest case of abuse against Vinícius Júnior, arresting seven people accused of racially insulting the Real Madrid player.

Spanish soccer officials also acted, fining Valencia 45,000 euros ($48,500) and closing part of the team’s stadium for the next five games.Workers pass a poster of Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior outside the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Monday, May 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul White)

Three people were detained in Valencia for alleged abuse against Vinícius in Sunday’s match between Valencia and Madrid. Four were arrested in Madrid for allegedly hanging an effigy of the player off a highway bridge in January.

The arrests came after an outpouring of support for Vinícius after he said he was abused in Valencia. The case prompted widespread reaction from sports figures and government officials in Spain and worldwide.

The section of Mestalla Stadium that will be closed is where the insults against Vinícius came from, behind one of the goals. It’s also where the club’s more hardcore fans usually are located.

The Spanish federation’s competition’s committee also made the unusual decision to annul the red card shown to Vinícius after an altercation with Valencia players late in Sunday’s match. The committee said video review failed to show the referee the entire altercation, including the part in which Vinícius was grabbed from behind by an opponent.

Vinícius had complained that his red card ended up being a reward to the racists who insulted him.

Spain has been criticized for its lack of action in racism cases in soccer. Brazilian government officials, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, had publicly expressed their concerns.

“It’s a crucial moment, a moment to take drastic measures,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday. “Now that the issue has visibility, the institutions have to take this opportunity to try to fix this problem.”

Source: Police make arrests following racist abuse of Real Madrid player