Four Individuals Sentenced to Probation for Vinicius Junior Inflatable Doll Incident in Spain

A Madrid court has sentenced four individuals to probation after they were found guilty of a hate crime, according to Reuters.

According to sources, the defendants were involved in displaying a banner that read «Madrid hates Real» and an inflatable black effigy of Brazilian winger Vinícius Júnior from the «whites» ahead of their Copa del Rey match against Atlético in January 2023.

Reportedly, the offenders avoided actual prison time due to their submission of an apology letter to Vinícius, «Real Madrid,» La Liga, and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

During the 2024/2025 La Liga season, 24-year-old Vinícius played in 30 matches, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists. In the Champions League, he participated in 12 games, netting eight goals and assisting three times.