Barcelona, 19 June, 2023 (GNP): The Brazilian men’s national team wore an “all-black kit” to support the anti-racism campaign, during their friendly match against Guinea, at Espanyol Stadium in Barcelona.
However, the campaign started following a season of persistent attacks against Brazil and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. The 22-year-old was most recently racially abused by Valencia fans during La Liga clash at the Mestalla on May 21.
The attacker took to social media to say that La Liga “belongs to racists” after the latest of many incidents throughout the campaign.
This marks the 10th incident as Spain’s La Liga reported similar incidents involving the Brazilian forward to prosecutors during the 2022-2023 season.
During the match, the players on both sides demonstrated their solidarity by either taking a knee or sitting down on the pitch and observing a minute’s silence.
In the first 45 minutes, the team was wearing black shirts, shorts, and socks before reverting to their traditional yellow jersey for the second half.
Moreover, the shirt front displayed the powerful campaign slogan, “Com Racismo nao tem jogo” (With racism, there is no game), giving a clear message that resonated with viewers and spectators grabbing attention worldwide.
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The slogan is part of the Brazilian Federation’s campaign, with the support of FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, “to end racism in soccer and society,” according to a statement from the Brazilian Federation released on Saturday.
On Thursday, Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president visited the Brazilian delegation announcing his full support for the anti-racism campaign.
Following the historic match, President Infantino invited Vincius Jr. to join FIFA’s anti-racism committee. Along with other players he wanted Vincious to suggest effective strategies to combat discriminatory behaviors in football.
Brazil is gearing up for its next friendly match against Senegal, scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Lisbon, Portugal.