Police arrest 4 in Vinicius racism case

The Spanish police have arrested four suspects alleged to have hung an effigy of Vinicius ahead of the Madrid derby in January. 

The arrest follows the storm that hit Spanish football in the past few days due to the Brazilian international suffering racist insults in Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat to Valencia at the Mestalla on Sunday. 

On the morning of the clash between Los Blancos and their local rivals Atletico Madrid back in January, an effigy dressed in Vinicius's Real Madrid jersey was hung over a bridge in the city. 

The heated clash saw the former Flamengo forward get racially abused before and after the game.

Recently, the winger was subject to racial abuse, which sparked global outrage and inquiries into Spanish football's stance against racism. 

Authorities have now arrested four for hanging an effigy of the player, which bore the banner "Madrid hate Real" underneath, back in January, according to the Independent.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the media storm that followed racist insults directed at Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior at Valencia's Mestella stadium, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has launched an awareness campaign against intolerance. 

The campaign's slogan is "Racists, out of football," and per the report, its mission is to kick away racism and xenophobia from football.