BARCELONA, Spain: Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior called out the haters of his goal celebrations as racist and insisted he will keep on dancing.
Spanish sports talk shows have been discussing the appropriateness of his celebrations, and a commentator on television said he should stop “doing the monkey.”
Real Madrid criticized the comment on Friday, and Vinicius issued a video statement on Saturday in which the Brazilian eloquently explained that dancing forms part of his cultural expression, and cited other soccer players, both Black and white, who also have danced after scoring.
“Repeat after me, racist: I am not going to stop dancing,” Vinícius said.
“I was victim of xenophobia and racism in a single declaration, but none of this began yesterday,” Vinícius said over freeze frames of social media posts using racist language to insult him.
The controversy also comes in the build up to Sunday’s always hotly contested Spanish capital derby in which Real Madrid visit Atlético Madrid. This week, Atlético captain Koke Resurrección, when asked what would happen if Vinícius danced after scoring, responded “There will be trouble.”
Koke appeared to make the comment in jest, but it has been widely commented on. Brazil star Neymar chimed in on social media by tweeting, “Dance Vini Jr.”
In his video, Vinícius listed players, including Atlético’s Antoine Griezmann, who is white, over images of them dancing to celebrate goals.
“For weeks my dancing has been criminalized, dances that are not mine, but rather of Ronaldinho, Neymar, Paquetá, Pogba, Matheus Cunha, Griezmann and João Félix,” he said. “They are dances of Brazilian artists, of Latino singers and reggaeton artists, and Black Americans. They are dances to celebrate the cultural diversity of the world. Accept them. Respect them. I won’t stop.”
The 22-year-old Vinícius emerged as one of the Spanish league’s best players last year, becoming a perfect attack partner for Karim Benzema. He helped Madrid win the Spanish league and the European Cup, including scoring the goal to beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League final.
He has scored five times already this season.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said he was sure his player was focused on playing, despite the noise.
“The player’s response was very good. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him,” Ancelotti said. “He’s playing with the joy and quality that he possesses. I don’t give him any advice because I’m not his dad or his brother. I’m his coach.”
Vinícius on dancing after goals: ‘I am not going to stop’
https://arab.news/8sjr9
Vinícius on dancing after goals: ‘I am not going to stop’
- Spanish sports talk shows have been discussing the appropriateness of his celebrations
- Vinicius issued a video statement on Saturday in which the Brazilian eloquently explained that dancing forms part of his cultural expression
Detry, LIV Golf veteran Uihlein share first-round lead in Riyadh
- Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club
RIYADH: Thomas Detry admitted feeling “a bit nervous” entering his LIV Golf debut on Wednesday.
So did Elvis Smylie, another of the league’s newcomers, but their opening-round performances under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club showed they are both ready to make some serious noise this season.
Detry, the newest full-time member of 4Aces GC, shot a bogey-free seven-under 65 to grab a share of the ROSHN Group LIV Golf Riyadh lead with LIV Golf veteran Peter Uihlein of RangeGoats GC.
Smylie, the 23-year-old rising star who joined the all-Australian Ripper GC, carded a 66 that left him in solo third. The two were among 10 players — eight full-timers and two reserves — playing their first-ever LIV Golf rounds.
Byeong Hun An, the new captain of Korean Golf Club, also sparkled in his debut, shooting 67 to join a group of six players tied for fourth. HyFlyers GC’s Michael La Sasso shot 69 in his pro debut as the league’s youngest player at age 21.
Torque GC grabbed the team lead at 15 under, with the all-South African Southern Guards GC two shots behind. Defending Riyadh champions and reigning LIV Golf Team Champions Legion XIII are in solo third at 11 under.
Detry and Smylie each hit 10 fairways, tying for best in the field, while Detry also was tied for the lead in greens in regulation, hitting 17 of 18. He prepared for playing at night by practicing under the lights with his coach in Abu Dhabi.
“First day on the job, so a little bit of a change for me, so a bit nervous,” said the Belgian, whose most recent win was in February last year on the PGA Tour. “I drove it so well out there, it made my job pretty easy.”
Smylie suffered a bogey on his second hole before finding his rhythm. Five of his seven birdies came on par fours, tying new Smash GC Captain Talor Gooch for most by any other player on Wednesday.
“I think there were a little bit of nerves and excitement, but I think I showed what I’m capable of today, or tonight, I should say,” Smylie said.
While Detry and Smylie were making their first LIV Golf starts, Uihlein was embarking on start number 51 as one of eight original players who have started every tournament since LIV Golf debuted in London in 2022.
He remains in search of his first LIV Golf win, although he won two International Series events on the Asian Tour in 2024. Those were each 72-hole tournaments, and Uihlein hopes LIV Golf’s format switch from 54 holes to 72 starting this season will prove beneficial to him.
“I’m not scared of a blowup every now and then on a hole in particular, so now I have more holes to make it up,” Uihlein said. “I think it’s going to benefit me long-term, which is nice.”
Gooch is among the group lurking at five under. He has won four individual titles and the 2023 season-long Individual Championship, all in the previous 54-hole format. He and the other veteran LIV Golf players have had to adjust their mindset.
“Definitely has a totally different vibe,” Gooch said.
“Only 18 more holes, it’s not that vastly different. But even on the range when we were about to go, I was giving everybody a little fist bump and said, ‘Let’s go get it,’ and Harold (Varner III, his new Smash teammate) said, ‘Hey, don’t come out the gate sprinting. It’s not a sprint anymore.’”
It remains serious business, though, especially with a bevy of newcomers in the expanded 57-player field determined to make a quick impression even while getting used to LIV Golf’s energetic tournament days.
“I think even with the concerts and the entertainment outside of the golf, that’s something that I’m really enjoying,” Smylie said. “I feel like I’m really thriving in an environment like that, and it’s great to start my LIV career here in Riyadh.”
