Vinícius Júnior Exposes La Liga’s Brand After Valencia Game.

Real Madrid’s winger Vinícius Júnior has been here before, and so has La Liga. Not for the first time, the Brazilian called out racist taunts volleyed towards him, this time during a match in Valencia, Spain, on Sunday. Following the game, he didn’t hold back when tearing into the league and what he considers a racism problem within the country outright.

On social media, the Brazilian said, “The prize racists won was my sending off,” referring to his late red card after an altercation with opposition player Hugo Duro at Mestalla. While addressing the division—and country’s issues—he expertly added, “It’s not football, (soccer) it’s La Liga.”

“It’s not football, it’s La Liga” is the division’s strapline and promotes the Spanish game as something else, something greater than soccer. On this occasion, Vinícius, whose goals and skills have illuminated the product since settling into the Real setup, used it to his advantage when making a point. He feels the league is not doing enough.

There is widespread backing for Vinícius from many pundits, players, and supporters. But there’s more to unpick. La Liga president Javier Tebas, not exactly on good terms with Vinícius, dismisses claims Spain and the league are racist and insists the organization is doing what it can. Meanwhile, one Valencia publication suggested Vinícius, a flamboyant competitor, is a provocateur (Spanish), as forwarded by outlet Diario AS.

In response to the events in Valencia, La Liga said it would solicit footage from the fixture to investigate what happened and take legal action against any hate crime. When such incidents occur in Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Cádiz, or any other city, the right words are no barrier. And in fairness, racism in packed soccer stadiums is not always easy to police, and the league shouldn’t be solely responsible for tackling a societal issue, not just a soccer one.

Regarding the situation in La Liga, there is no smoke without fire. Spanish soccer does have racism endemic, just like Italy and other countries. And there is concern over how frequent these incidents are. If discrimination results in more banned supporters and other harsher consequences beyond simple fines, that will mark an improvement. Vinícius has also been targeted in Madrid and Mallorca this season, while the Cádiz defender Carlos Akapo and Athletic Club’s Nico Williams have suffered insults.

For now, it’s often reactive. Racism and other discrimination cases become lost in bureaucracy, and La Liga is without the power to influence much alone. Yet it can be more proactive in challenging the existing structure for dealing with incidents and handing out punishments. A referee abandoning a game, something coach Carlo Ancelotti mentioned, might be the next step.

It can also do more as a brand. Admitting the problem is the first step, and omitting the flare-up from one of its online highlights packages is not a great look. As the league aims to grow its brand for next season, it should drop the platitudes about inspiring people through soccer and first treat what’s undoing the Spanish game from a powerful position. Head on.

Vinícius, arguably its best player, has laid the matter bare—and in the league’s own words.