Vinicius Jr: Four people arrested in Spain over online hate campaign against Real Madrid superstar

Four men have been arrested and questioned in Spain on suspicion of conducting an online hate campaign encouraging fans to racially abuse Real Madrid star forward Vinicius Jr.

The quartet were detained on October 14 and 15 then released as investigations continued into social media slogans which urged fans to wear face masks so they could insult the Black Brazil international without being identified, police said on Thursday.

They were the first detentions announced by police linked to the campaign, which set out to target the 24-year-old in the build-up to the Spanish capital’s derby on September 29 at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium.

Vinicius Jr, who has faced abuse at several matches, last year called La Liga and Spain racist after receiving slurs from the stands during a match at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium.

In a landmark case, three Valencia football fans were each sentenced to eight months in prison in June for hate crimes against Vinicius Jr - the first conviction for racist insults in a soccer stadium in Spain.

On Thursday, Spain’s National Police did not name the four men and there was no immediate statement from any lawyers representing them.

Under Spanish legal procedures, a judge will investigate and eventually consider whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Police said the online campaign went viral, raising “significant social alarm”. The investigation remains open and could lead to more arrests, the force added.

LaLiga stepped in the day before the clash, saying it was calling for the arrest of anyone involved in the campaign that it said amounted to the crime of incitement to hatred.