Take that, you racists. A day that had dawned with the grim sight of an effigy of Vinícius Júnior hanging from a bridge ended with him going wild, celebrating the third goal of a dramatic night in which Real Madrid came from behind to defeat Atlético 3-1 and head into the semi-final of the Copa del Rey, leaving their city rivals with nothing left to chase this season. There was vindication in the reaction, the Brazilian shouting, clenching his fists, pumping his arms and eventually dancing, which is what he does, a message in the way he moves, and why not? The question now is what consequences there will be.
The buildup to a wonderful game, an old-style derby to delight, had, after all, been overshadowed by another episode to depress. Overnight, some Atlético fans had placed a banner from a bridge near Real’s training ground, declaring “Madrid hates Real”. Beneath it, an inflatable doll wearing a Vinícius shirt, rope around its neck. This was not the first time he had been subjected to racist abuse: when these teams met in September, a group of Atlético supporters chanted that he was a monkey. That time, he and his teammates had danced in celebration of a 2-1 win – a point made if not heeded, depressingly.
