Real Madrid and Brazil Soccer star Vinícius Júnior breaks down in tears while speaking about racist abuse: “I’m losing my desire to play”

Brazilian superstar Vinícius Jr. cracked down in tears in a passionate media conference on Monday while talking about his experience with racist insults while playing for Real Madrid in Spain.

The 23-year-old has been exposed to racial discrimination from supporters of opposing teams in Spain on numerous occasions in his Madrid career and expressed that he has fought to stay positive and inspired towards soccer as an answer of the abuse.

“I just want to play football, but it’s hard to move forward … I feel less and less like playing,” a noticeably emotional Vinícius said to reporters at the press conference, before Brazil’s friendly soccer match against Spain in Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Regardless of the repeated discrimination that he has confronted, Vinícius clarified that he has not contemplated leaving Los Blancos as he plans to disregard his abusers and take a stand against racism.

“It never crossed my mind (to leave Spain) because, if I leave Spain, I give the racists exactly what they want,” Vinícius told the media.

“I will stay because, that way, the racists can continue to see my face more and more. I’m a bold player, I play for Real Madrid, and we win a lot of titles and that doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.”

Prior this month, LaLiga, Spain’s top soccer league announced it was “studying and analyzing the facts” after it was claimed that Vinícius had been the victim of racist abuse by a supporter of the crowd in Madrid’s game versus Valencia.