Police arrests four Atletico Madrid Fans!
Madrid, Oct 24 (EFE).-
Spain’s National Police arrested four alleged Atletico Madrid supporters for organizing an online hate campaign targeting Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
Madrid police said on Thursday that the suspects were accused of inciting people to direct racist insults at Vinicius in the days leading up to the Atletico-Real Madrid match at the Metropolitano Stadium on Sep. 29.
“The four main individuals responsible for a hate campaign against a football player have been arrested,” the Madrid Police Headquarters said in a statement.
The suspects are facing charges of hate crimes, and police have not ruled out further arrests as the investigation is still ongoing.
“They incited fans through social media to attend the stadium and shout insults with racist connotations,” the police said.
The arrested individuals reportedly encouraged fans to wear masks at the stadium to avoid identification while shouting abusive and discriminatory insults at the Real Madrid forward.
The hate campaign gained significant attention on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, amassing 1.7 billion views, 7,000 reposts, and nearly 56,000 interactions.
The Atletico-Real Madrid match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, was marred by incidents of misconduct, leading to a brief suspension in the second half after Atletico supporters threw objects, including lighters, at Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
This behavior led to the closure of a section of the stadium for one game and a fine of 3,000 euros.
The investigation began on Oct. 1, following complaints filed by La Liga, Spain’s professional football league.
The suspects, arrested between Oct. 14 and 15, have already been handed over to judicial authorities. EFE
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