A life‑size mannequin in a Real Madrid No 20 shirt dangled from a Madrid motorway bridge beside a banner that screamed “Madrid odia al Real”.
As the image stunned world football on 26 January 2023, twenty-nine months later, justice finally arrived—albeit lightly.
What the Court Decided
On 16 June 2025, Madrid’s provincial court convicted four members of the Frente Atlético ultra group on charges of hate crime and threats:
One ringleader: 22 months (15 for hate crime, 7 for threats) + €1,084 fine
Three accomplices: 14 months each (7 + 7) + €720 fine
Because all sentences are under two years and the men have no priors, prison time is suspended—but only if they stay clean for three years (four for the ringleader).
Extra Penalties
Stadium blackout: banned from every football ground Vinícius enters and from the Valdebebas training complex, with a 1‑km exclusion zone on match days.
Career freeze: barred from any job in coaching, youth sport or leisure for up to 4.5 years.
Classroom of equality: mandatory anti‑discrimination course before the suspension sticks.
Public apology: letters of remorse sent to Vinícius, Real Madrid, La Liga and the Spanish FA.
Vinícius’s Day in Court
Testifying by video link, the Brazilian winger recalled waking to the viral photo hours before a Copa del Rey derby: “I didn’t know if I—or my family—was in danger.”
Why This Matters
First effigy verdict: Spain’s earlier hate‑crime sentences targeted racist chants; this ruling punishes a violent, symbolic threat.
Racism spotlight: Follows May’s convictions of Valladolid fans for stadium abuse, showing courts are closing ranks on La Liga racism.
Suspended, but significant: No jail bars will slam shut, yet the bans, fines and hate‑crime label set a legal precedent Atlético’s ultras—and the rest of Spain—can’t ignore.
Justice might still feel lenient, but the message is louder than the banner on that bridge: racist intimidation is now a crime with a paper trail—and a price tag.
