The Spanish police force have made progress in their investigation to the disgraceful mannequin that was hung from a Madrid overpass in the lead up to last week’s Madrid derby.
A banner was hung from an overpass in the vicinity of Valdebebas, Real Madrid’s training ground, saying ‘Madrid hates Real’, but below it hung a mannequin sporting a Vinicius Junior shirt.
The stunt was widely condemned, including by both clubs. The player himself called for punishments to be handed out rather than condemnation. It is believed that far-right Atletico Madrid supporters group ‘Frente Atletico’ are behind the incident.
According to Cadena SER, the police now have DNA evidence and fingerprints from the banner, which could lead them to the culprits.
If, as seems likely, the incident is declared as a racial attack, a conviction in court would carry a sentence of between one and four years.
While it would be premature to analyse any potential punishment, it is a step forward for Spanish football if these sentences do come to pass. It is a mark of shame that it has taken so long for action to be taken, but if the authorities finally show that racial abuse and this treatment of Vinicius carries consequences, perhaps some progress can be made.