Valencia are reportedly considering legal action, claiming the Netflix documentary ‘Baila, Vini’ unfairly portrays their fans as racist.
- Valencia may sue over ‘Baila, Vini’ documentary
- Documentary shows controversial footage from 2023
- Three fans found guilty of racial abuse
WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Liga club has claimed that the documentary is misleading by its suggestion of widespread racist behavior among fans during a heated match at Mestalla in May 2023. While three individuals were found guilty of racism, the club argues that the film unfairly generalises the actions of a few to the entire fanbase.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Netflix documentary ‘Baila, Vini’, which means ‘Dance, Vini’ in English, is about VinÃcius Junior and how he preapres himself to compete at the highest level. Footage and subtitles in the Netflix documentary suggest Vinicius was targeted with racial slurs, specifically, ‘Mono, mono!’, which translates to ‘Monkey, monkey!’, during a heated La Liga match against Valencia. The club insists that the real chant was ‘Tonto, tonto!’, translating to ‘Idiot, idiot!’. Valencia acknowledged and condemned the racist behaviour of three fans, but argue that the documentary misrepresents the situation and could damage the club’s image worldwide.
WHAT VINICIUS JR. SAID
Discussing the documentary on Instagram, Vinicius wrote: “A 24-year-old having a documentary sounds weird, right? My career is far from over, a biography now wouldn’t make sense. But I reflected and saw that I already had something to say, there was already a story to tell. May it inspire. Smile is my identity. Today, I jokingly recount the childhood woes. That was a tough one, though. Tears well up the eyes just thinking what my life would be like without football. Thank you to everyone who allowed me to experience it all.”
WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR AND VALENCIA?
Vinicius Junior will continue in his attempts to combat racism in football, as the Brazilian intends to inspire younger generations, both on and off the pitch. The Brazilian and his Madrid team-mates will play the penultimate game of the 2024-25 La Liga season with a meeting with Sevilla on May 18. Valencia, meanwhile, will wait for their legal team to review the documentary further for possible defamation or misrepresentation, which could set up a possible legal showdown with the streaming giant. Their first team face Athletic Club at Mestalla on Sunday.
