Former Cameroon international Etame Mayer strongly condemns the racist insults directed at Vinicius Jr. Having grown up in Spain, Mayer maintains that racism is ingrained in the Spanish league. For the two-time African champion, the authorities must take drastic measures to put an end to this phenomenon.
In tears, Vinicius Jr could not cope with the racist insults hurled at him by Valencia fans, who literally called him a "black monkey". The Real Madrid star later condemned the despicable act on his social networks, and at the same time slammed La Liga.
And it wasn't the first time a player had been the victim of racism. Former Cameroon international Laureano Bissan Etame Mayer, known as Lauren, maintains that racist insults are a regular occurrence in the Spanish league. "I grew up here in Spain and we all know that there are Nazis in the crowd," the two-time Premier League winner told BBC Sport Africa. He continued: "Real Madrid supporters, Ultra Surs, Boixos Nois Barcelona, Frente Atletico Madrid, United Family Real Betis, Valencia Ultras Yomus, Brigades Blanquiazules Espanyol - they're all Nazis."
For the former Indomitable Lion, racism has gained ground because of the laxity of the Spanish authorities. "They've been at the stadium every week since I was a child. The Spanish authorities do nothing about them. They even allow them to go onto the training pitch to put pressure on the players and that's why I say it's the system that allows this (racism) to happen." He adds. "The only (club) president who said 'I don't want any more Ultra Sur fans at Real Madrid' was Florentino Perez. He's the only president who has said 'I don't want right-wing extremists in my stadium'. The other presidents don't do anything... That's the reality here in Spain... in La Liga, in the second division, in the third division. Vinicius makes the situation even more difficult because he plays for Real Madrid.
Several top players have been victims of racism in the Spanish league, including Mouctar Diakhaby. The Guinea international even snubbed La Liga's anti-racism banner.
"Twenty years ago, it happened with Samuel Eto'o and nothing happened. Dani Alves threw bananas at Barcelona and nothing happened," insists Etame Mayer. He urges the Spanish authorities to take drastic measures to put an end to this phenomenon. Indeed, La Liga has officially asked the Spanish government to amend the law to give it the power to impose sanctions such as total or partial stadium closures, bans on supporters and financial penalties.
