A high-profile member of the attacking ranks at Premier League outfit Brentford has today moved to provide his public backing to Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr.
As much, of course, comes amid what has proven an emotional week to date for the 23-year-old.
After being drawn on the racist abuse to which he has been subjected across his time in La Liga during a press conference whilst on international duty with Brazil on Monday, Vinícius’ reaction, and response, turned heads across the world of football.
This came as the gifted winger broke down in a flood of tears, on his way to admitting that he has given genuine consideration to hanging up his boots:
“I’ve been watching this for a long time, and every time I feel sadder, I have less and less will to play.
“I’m sorry. I just want to play football, do everything for my club and my family, never see black people suffering. I’ve thought about quitting.”
Messages of support, in turn, quickly poured in for Vinícius, as fans, pundits and players alike from across the globe move to remind the Brazilian that he maintains the backing of the masses.
And, as alluded to above, on Thursday, a fresh message of backing has been forthcoming online.
Taking to his official ‘X’ account, Brentford star Neal Maupay responded to a fan post, which suggested that Vinícius himself is responsible for the abuse which he receives:
“No matter what you do on the pitch to gain an advantage over your opponent, there is never an excuse for resorting to racial abuse,” Maupay began. “This kind of reaction can never be normalised and we should always speak up and fight back against discrimination.”
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