Gama da Silva’s Controversial Racism Remark About Vinicius Jr. Sparks Outrage

Former Spanish footballer Donato Gama da Silva said he would call Vinicius Junior “black” to provoke him during a match.
He argued that Spain isn’t inherently racist but acknowledged the prevalence of racism in society.
Gama da Silva’s comments have been widely criticized for normalizing and trivializing racist language in football.

Eko Hot blog reports that Former Spanish footballer Donato Gama da Silva has received criticism for stating that he would describe Vinicius Junior as “black” if they were to compete against each other.

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Gama da Silva contended that such a characterization would constitute a ‘provocation’ rather than racism.

In a pre-match interview ahead of Spain’s friendly 3-3 encounter with Brazil on Tuesday, Gama da Silva discussed the racial discrimination Vinicius has endured, asserting that although Spain isn’t inherently racist, racism remains prevalent.

He went on to state that calling Vinicius “black” would be provocative but not racist.

“Spain is not racist, but there is racism,” Gama da Silva said (via Relevo).

“If I’m playing against Vinicius, I would call him black to provoke him. It’s not racism, it’s provocation.”