Three people have been detained in Spain in connection with racist taunts aimed at Brazilian soccer star Vinícius Junior.
The incident occurred Sunday at Valencia, when Vinícius, playing for Real Madrid, was met with racist taunts before getting off the team bus and was the subject of racially tinged chants during the match.
According to the BBC, the three people – who range in age from 18 to 21 – were identified as the match was paused during the second half. Afterwards, Vinícius expressed his frustration with multiple incidents of racism he has experienced this season in an Instagram post, calling Spain a “country of racists.”
In January, Spanish police detained four people suspected of hanging an effigy of the 22-year-old forward from a bridge in Madrid.
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LaLiga president Javier Tebas Medrano addressed Vinícius’ comments, saying the league has taken steps to eliminate racism. He exchanged words with the forward and said that, despite the Brazilian star’s pleas for reform, he missed two scheduled meetings to discuss race relations.
Contributing: Victoria Hernandez
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vinícius Jr racist taunts lead to three people detained in Spain