Former Spanish footballer, Donato Gama da Silva has faced backlash for saying that he would refer to Vinicius Junior as “black” if they were to play against each other.
Gama da Silva argued that this would be considered a form of ‘provocation’ instead of racism.
Speaking to reporters before Spain’s friendly 3-3 clash against Brazil on Tuesday, Gama da Silva addressed the racial abuse that Vinicius has faced and claimed that while Spain is not racist, racism still exists.
He went on to state that calling Vinicius “black” would be provocative but not racist.
“Spain is not racist, but there is racism,” Gama da Silva said (via Relevo).
“If I’m playing against Vinicius, I would call him black to provoke him. It’s not racism, it’s provocation.”
Gama Da Silva’s comments have sparked outrage, with many condemning him for trivializing and normalizing racist language in football.
Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines