Spain Police said four people were detained in connection to an online campaign allegedly inciting hatred towards Vinicius Jr

Police said four people were detained in connection to an online campaign allegedly inciting hatred towards Vinicius Jr.

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

The men were detained on October 14 and 15 and then released as investigations continued into social media slogans that urged fans to wear face masks so they could insult the Black Brazil international without being identified, police added 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. It used the hashtag #MetropolitanoConMascarilla (Metropolitano with a Mask).

Vinicius Jr, who has faced abuse at several matches, last year called LaLiga the nation’s premier football league and Spain “racist” after hearing 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 football 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, police added.

LaLiga stepped in the day before the September 29 Madrid derby, saying it was calling for the arrest of anyone involved in the campaign, which it said amounted to the crime of incitement to hatred.

Atletico Madrid did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but they said earlier this month that they were committed to adopting internal disciplinary measures against their associates involved in racist, xenophobic or intolerant incidents.

The viral social media campaign before the September 29 clash encouraged Atletico fans to arrive at the club's Metropolitano stadium and utter "degrading and discriminatory insults with racist connotations" against a Real player, police said.

Participants were urged to come wearing masks to thwart attempts to identify them, police added in a statement without naming Vinicius.

The investigation began at the start of this month following three complaints by La Liga and four males suspected of inciting hatred were arrested on October 14 and 15.

Further arrests cannot be ruled out as the investigation remains open, police added.

Opposition fans have singled out Vinicius for racist abuse at several La Liga stadiums since the Brazil forward, 24, joined Real Madrid in 2018.

In January 2023, a dark-skinned effigy wearing a Vinicius shirt was found hanging from a bridge near the club's training ground alongside a banner saying: "Madrid hates Real".

In December, four Atletico Madrid fans were charged over the incident, with prosecutors pushing for jail terms of four years.

Last month's Madrid derby was also marred by a 15-minute suspension after Atletico fans hurled objects including lighters onto the pitch in the second half.

The violence eventually earned Atletico a fine and a partial stadium closure. The game ended 1-1.