São Paulo. – Flamengo coach Filipe Luís clarified this Friday that at no time did he try to minimize the seriousness of racism after referring to the insult reported by Vinícius Júnior in a European match as an “isolated case.”
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The coach’s statements came after the 1-0 defeat against Lanús in the first leg of the Recopa Sudamericana, played in Argentina, and generated strong criticism in Brazil.
“Racism is unacceptable”
In a public statement, Filipe Luís emphasized that racism is “an unacceptable behavior that must be fought and punished firmly,” and acknowledged that his words may have led to misinterpretations due to the sensitivity of the issue.
The former Atlético de Madrid and Deportivo de La Coruña player insisted that his position is “non-negotiable” and recalled that racism is a crime in Brazil, so it must be treated with the same rigor in any country.
He also expressed his “full support” for Vinícius, current Real Madrid forward and trained in the lower categories of Flamengo.
The Champions episode
The controversy arose after the complaint by Vinícius, who claimed that the Argentinian Gianluca Prestianni, a Benfica player, hurled a racist insult at him during a UEFA Champions League match.
In a press conference, Filipe Luís had pointed out that he was always well-treated in Argentina and affirmed that an “isolated case” did not change his perception of the country, a comment that sparked questions in the media and social media.
Open debate in Brazil
Brazilian journalists and commentators considered that qualifying the event as isolated could be interpreted as a minimization of the problem. The discussion rekindled the debate on the responsibility of public figures in football in the face of racism allegations and the need for firm responses in international competitions.
In his final clarification, Filipe Luís reiterated that he never wanted to diminish the suffering of Vinícius and reaffirmed his absolute rejection of any form of discrimination in sport.
