A hate crime investigation was opened after the effigy carrying winger Vinicius Jr’s No. 20 shirt was hung from a bridge in entrance of the coaching floor of Real Madrid, the participant’s staff, together with a 16-metre pink and white banner, the colors of rival staff Atletico Madrid, that learn “Madrid hates Real”.

The arrests come a day after soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales mentioned Spanish soccer has a racism downside, following a race-crime criticism lodged by Real Madrid.

After racial slurs have been aimed on the Real Madrid participant throughout a Spanish league match on Sunday, Vinicius Jr, in a social media submit, known as the racist abuse “inhuman” and requested sponsors and broadcasters to carry LaLiga accountable.

The 4 males could possibly be chargeable for an alleged hate crime and three of them are energetic members of “a radical group of fans of a Madrid club”, police mentioned. Those three members have been beforehand recognized throughout matches and certified as “high risk” to assist stop violence in sport, they mentioned.

LaLiga, the nation’s high soccer league, is below stress to do extra to fight racism after the Brazilian president, FIFA, and sporting stars corresponding to France ahead Kylian Mbappe, Rio Ferdinand and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton voiced help for Vinicius.

The effigy incident happened earlier than Real hosted Atletico Madrid within the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in late January.