Pierry Amaro Ricardo has a bit to say about the prejudice that his idol, Vinicius Junior, had to experience while taking a break from training beneath a large poster of Vinicius Junior on the same pitch where the Real Madrid player made his start in his professional career.
The Brazilian football talent, who is only 18 years old, had this to say about the situation: “It’s inhuman.”
At the Flamengo junior school in Sao Goncalo, an impoverished community south of Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo hopes of following the same stratospheric path as Vinicius, who began his career here before signing with Real Madrid at the age of 16. All of the boys who are chasing the ball around the rectangle of green artificial grass at the academy share this desire.
However, the young midfielder is afraid that other black players will continue to be subjected to the same type of abuse that Vinicius had on Sunday against Valencia. The 22-year-old sensation was targeted with cries of “monkey” from the fans, which was the latest in a series of racist attacks against him.
Ricardo, who plays in the junior system of Flamengo, Brazil’s most famous football team, says, “It’s getting worse and worse.” “It’s getting worse and worse,”
“There are some people who believe that it is typical. We are evaluated according to the tone of our skin. “Ever since I was a little kid, my mom has instilled in me the belief that ‘black people have to be twice as good,'” he said with AFP.
“Unfortunately, that’s the way things are. No matter what happens, I’m going to come out on top.”
The educators at the Flamengo youth school, known as Escola Flamengo, have expressed their profound sorrow at having witnessed the brutality that Vinicius was subjected to. They recall him as a kind young man and exemplary pupil who won everyone’s admiration.
“He was an amazing young man who was incredibly courteous and devoted. Monique Monteiro, who is 32 years old and works at the front desk of the academy, adds that he was the team’s outstanding performer both on and off the field.
She describes how “Vini” overcame a childhood spent in abject poverty and the dangerous alleys of Sao Goncalo, a working-class community located across the bay from Rio, in order to ascend to the highest level of professional football. Her words nearly convey a sense of wonder.
“It wasn’t a walk in the park for him. She told AFP that he accomplished everything through his own hard work and with a lot of support from his family.
“It’s incredibly upsetting for individuals like myself who have followed him throughout his whole career and seen everything he’s been through to get to where he is now. Having to see him endure pain like this is driving me crazy.
Our encouragement and unwavering support
Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior, the player whose full name is Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior, spent his childhood in a modest home located at the end of a street that led nowhere in a poor section of Sao Goncalo that was adjacent to the BR-101 freeway.
In spite of the fact that he is now one of the most famous football players in the world, he still has a close connection with his hometown.
His family still resides in the same house, which has now been significantly enlarged and lavishly restored. It is located at the end of a run-down neighborhood, which features a mural depicting Vinicius wearing the uniform of the Brazilian national team and expressing his desire to win the World Cup.
According to the locals, the football player has given back to his community in a significant way, notably through his Vini Jr. Institute, which is a charity that aims to assist children in improving their academic performance through the implementation of creative programs that draw upon the Brazilians’ national enthusiasm for football as well as technology.
On social media, the local administration thanked a local hero for his contributions to the community.
It added, “Sao Goncalo and Brazil are proud of you,” and it was written in Portuguese.
“You have our complete and unwavering support at this time.”
There has been an outpouring of solidarity from people all around Brazil, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, music icon Gilberto Gil, and fellow Brazilian national team players Neymar and Richarlison.
Residents in the downtown area of Sao Goncalo get passionate as they express their dissatisfaction at what has transpired in the most recent episode.
It’s completely ridiculous to refer to the young man as a monkey. It defies logic,” says Marcia Maria da Costa, who is 62 years old and sells football stuff at a local street market, where vendors say there is a great demand for jerseys of Vinicius. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”
A phone dealer named Victor Gabriel Ferreira, who grew up in Vinicius’s neighborhood, expressed his fury at the string of racial controversies that have engulfed Vinicius recently.
He made the statement that “Brazil and the world can’t stand to see a black man from the favela rise to the top of the best players in the world,” and he was right.
“And that’s exactly what he is.”