Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior mocked at Valencian festival with figure

The relationship between Vinicius Junior and Valencia fans was once again on edge at Mestalla earlier this month, and now the Brazilian will be present at the traditional burning of the Ninots for the Les Falles or Las Fallas festival. A Valencian-based artist, Victor Navarro, has built a figure of Vinicius under the title ‘the golden crap’.

Ever since Vinicius was racially abused at Mestalla, the Brazilian has received particularly vicious treatment from the local crowd, who resent the Real Madrid reaction to the incident, accusing the entire stadium of chanting ‘monkey’ at Vinicius, and tarring all with the same brush as the three fans who Vinicius called out from the crowd. The trio found guilty were later jailed after Valencia helped identify the culprits.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti later apologised for the mischaracterisation, but upon his return the following year, further racial abuse was heard towards Vinicius outside of the stadium as the Madrid team bus arrived. This January Vinicius received a second red card of the three in his career for shoving Stole Dimitrievski in the face/neck at Mestalla again.

Navarro constructed the figure for the Ninots exhibition, which sees ironic and satirical public figures on display outside of the Museum of Arts and Sciencies in the city. Two are then chosen by the public to be saved from the ‘burning’ in March, and go into the Falles museum. Similar practices occur at the Carnival in other countries and cities, such as in Cologne.

It is not the first time Vinicius has been ‘present’ at the festival, and most famous figures receive mocking by tradition, but for some it might be crossing the line given the serious racial persecution Vinicius has faced in recent years. Under the figure, Vinicius, mocked for missing out on the Ballon d’Or, is the following text.

“Vini is watering the garden with his tears, Madrid is encouraging him and awards him the Cagalló d’Or (Golden Crap); They are crocodile tears that will make you flee in a boat and of which a gentile defence is made, of course, by AS and Marca,” recount Diario AS.