The first leg of the Copa Del Rey semifinal between Real Sociedad and Real Madrid was halted momentarily due to racial slurs directed at Real Madrid’s star player, Vinicius Junior. During the match, fans were witnessed making monkey gestures towards Vinicius, a recurring issue he has faced throughout his career in Spain. This game marked his debut as captain of the team.

Additionally, it was reported that derogatory chants aimed at Raul Asencio were also heard from the crowd, which led to a call for action from the Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, who enacted La Liga’s racism protocol near the end of the first half.

Stadium authorities warned that the match could be suspended if the behaviors continued. This protocol is seldom implemented within La Liga’s regulations despite the frequent occurrence of such incidents in other leagues like Concacaf’s.

Vinicius has previously been subjected to similar attacks, including incidents that resulted in fines and arrests in Valencia. Following the match, he expressed positivity on social media, sharing an image and captioning it, ‘Living unforgettable moments with the club of my dreams!’