Four Detained Over Vinicius Hung Effigy Incident
Spanish police arrested Tuesday four men suspected of hanging a dummy of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior from a bridge in January in Madrid.
The arrests come two days after racist abuse was again hurled at the 22-year-old Brazilian international during a Spanish league match, sparking an international outcry.
The four men, who were arrested in Madrid, are “suspected of a hate crime for hanging from a bridge a mannequin with Vinicius’ shirt,” police said in a statement.
Three of the men are members of an ultra fan group of a Madrid football club, the statement added without identifying the club.
The dummy wearing Vinicius Junior’s jersey was hung by the neck from a highway bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground on January 26 ahead of the club’s match against Atletico Madrid.
A banner in the red and white colours of Atletico was also flung over the bridge that read: “Madrid hates Real”.
