What's happened
Javier Tebas apologises for his comments on Twitter in which he suggested that Vinicius Jr. was being manipulated when he called out racism he has suffered in Spain.
Why it matters
The apology comes after Vinicius Jr. spoke out about the abuse he received during Real Madrid's match against Valencia last weekend, an incident that sparked international controversy. The issue of racism in Spanish football has been a problem for some time but has hit the headlines recently. Tebas has claimed that with the correct legal framework, he can eradicate racism in Spanish football within six months.
What the papers say
The Guardian, The Independent, Reuters
How we got here
The issue of racism in Spanish football has been a problem for some time but has hit the headlines recently after Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. spoke out about the abuse he received during a match against Valencia. His club filed a hate crime complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General's Office. La Liga's president, Javier Tebas, has acknowledged mistakes in not instigating change earlier and has spoken of plans to increase powers against racist offenders.
More on these topics
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Javier Tebas Medrano is a Spanish lawyer and the president of Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, the association responsible for administering Spain's two professional football leagues.
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The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as La Liga, is the men's top professional football division of the Spanish football league system.
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Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior, commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team.