Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has denied that Spain is a racist country despite the repeated abuse of team-mate Vinicius Junior.
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Carvajal denies Spain is racist countryTeam-mate Vinicius has been victim of abuseDefender 'won't hold back' in Brazil clashWHAT HAPPENED?
Vinicius has been targeted by fans in Spain in several high-profile incidents and the Brazilian forward has spoken out against the abuse, promising to continue his fight against racism in the European country. The winger broke down in tears at a press conference after being asked about his experience of racism, but Carvajal maintains Spain is not a racist country.
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"It is an ideal setting and match to face the fight against racism," the Spain international said. "Vinicius speaks about it with his intimate circle, we help him as much as we can in the dressing room. I don’t think Spain is a racist country, I think we have a very high level of integration. I come from Leganes and I have grown up with kids from all countries. Unfortunately, there are people who go to football to vent their anger. If there is a type of comment that could hurt someone, people go down that avenue."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Carvajal and Vinicius will go head-to-head this week when Spain face Brazil in an international friendly. The right-back has promised he will not go easy against his club co-star, saying: "You can injure yourself more by tackling weaker than by going in strong. Being a friendly, there are actions in which you can regulate yourself, you don’t go so far to the limit. For my part, I will not hold anything back. Vinicius surprised me for the better and the improvement he has shown has been spectacular. He received a lot of criticism and some players have not been able to get past that. He is now one of our leaders."
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
La Roja host the Selecao in a friendly on Tuesday. Brazil approach the game after beating England 1-0 through a late goal from Endrick, while Spain ran out 1-0 winners against Colombia last week.