Atletico Madrid denounces racist chants against Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior

Atletico Madrid on Tuesday condemned the racist chants made by some of its fans against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and pledged to work with authorities to identify those responsible.

"Our club has always been known for being an open and inclusive space for fans of different nationalities, cultures, races, and social classes, and a few cannot tarnish the image of thousands and thousands of Atleti fans who support their team with passion and respect for their opponents," the club said.

"These chants provoke enormous repulsion and indignation," Atletico added in its statement. "We will not allow any individual to hide behind our colours to utter insults of a racist or xenophobic nature."

The club condemned "the unacceptable chants that a minority of fans made outside the stadium." It pledged to immediately expel any of its members who participated.

The Spanish league similarly said "hate speech has no place in La Liga" and vowed to "work with the clubs and the authorities to identify and bring to justice any such case." It plans to file its official report to the Spanish federation, which will weigh disciplinary action against Atletico.

After fellow Brazilian Rodrygo scored Madrid's first goal on Sunday, he and Vinicius did their samba-like moves by one of the corner flags, fulfilling their promise to keep dancing despite the criticism.

Some Atletico fans threw objects at them.

It wasn't the first time Vinicius was subjected to racist taunts. It happened last year during a "clasico" against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. There were also cases against other players, including Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams.