In a dramatic and symbolic stand against racial discrimination, Brazil’s national football team will wear all-black jerseys for half of their friendly match against Guinea in Barcelona, Spain.
This move is a sign of solidarity with Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr., who has repeatedly been the target of racial incidents during games, including a recent incident during Real Madrid’s match against Valencia.
The black jerseys, identical to those used by goalkeepers and launched by Nike for the 2022 World Cup, will be worn by the players during the first half of the match. Following this, the team will switch back to their traditional yellow shirts for the second half. The purpose of this initiative is to make a strong statement against racism in football.
Following the match, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) intends to distribute the jerseys to key political and sports figures, including the presidents of FIFA, UEFA, and CONMEBOL, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Minister of Racial Equality Aniele Franco.
This gesture by the Brazilian national team underlines the ongoing fight against racial discrimination in the world of football, and demonstrates the power of sport in promoting unity and equality.
Vinicius issued a strongly-worded statement after he was abused, saying: “Today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.”
Leeds forward Rodrigo, born in Brazil, was happy about the arrangements for the match, given the slogan “The Same Skin”.
“I think it’s a great initiative on the part of both federations,” said Rodrigo.
“It’s very important to use the power of football to denounce and fight against discrimination.”
Earlier in June legislators in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro approved a law on Tuesday to curtail football matches affected by racist abuse, after a wave of disgust over the treatment of Vinicius, a native of the state.
