Pepe Reina, a former goalkeeper for Liverpool, has advised Vinicius Jr. to act “more mature” in light of the recent racism issue that has rocked Spanish football.
During the La Liga encounter against Valencia on Sunday at the Mestalla, Valencia supporters racially assaulted the Brazilian winger for Real Madrid.
However, Villarreal player Reina stated the Brazilian should act more maturely and not “provoke” his opponents’ fans.
He added that Vinicius would get more respect if he desist from “provoking” rival supporters and arguing with the referee.
Reina, 40, criticized the racist taunts and demanded a lifetime ban on the offending fans, but she stressed that “Spain is not racist.”
Speaking to Marca, Reina said: “First and foremost, any racist behaviour must be stopped. But then, I do not believe that there is racism in all the stadiums in Spain or that an entire stadium is racist.
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“Those four, eight or one thousand who called Vinicius a ‘monkey’ must be condemned. It is sad that this happens.
“Having said that, I see that sometimes it’s not just racism, it’s not that a fan is racist or not, but rather that they take it out on a specific player, because he can talk too much at one point.
“As a general reflection, the less you provoke the stands, the less you provoke the rivals and the less you protest to the referee, the more respect you will have from everyone.
“I think he [Vinicius] must be more mature in his behaviour, in having more respect for his rivals. It can’t be that every game away from home is a war for him.”
Asked if he thought Spanish football was racist, Reina added: “There is racism in England, France, Italy… and we must fight against it, actively and resolutely. Exclude them from soccer.
“Because there are ‘dummies’ in many fields – that is why exemplary sanctions must be applied: closing stadiums, stopping matches.
“That seems perfect to me, but I also think that not everything is racism.
‘Spain is not racist, or at least not more racist than other countries, although there are the racist attitudes of some fools.”