Barcelona Official's Controversial Social Media Post about Real Madrid's Vinícius Jr

FC Barcelona coach Xavi expressed his desire for Saturday's El Clásico to be played with "mutual respect" following the removal of a derogatory social media post about Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr. made by a board member at the club. Earlier this week, Miquel Camps, the deputy spokesperson for Barcelona's board of directors, referred to Vinícius as a "clown" in a post discussing his performance during Real Madrid's Champions League match against Sporting Braga on X, previously known as Twitter.

In the post that has since been deleted, Camps stated: "It's not about racism, but rather about the fact that he deserves criticism for acting like a clown and a jokester. What significance do these unnecessary and pointless step overs hold in the middle of the field."

CNN has reached out to Camps to request a statement through his personal company and also contacted Barcelona for their response. Real Madrid and Vinícius, however, have chosen not to publicly address the tweet.

Vinícius has faced repeated incidents of racist abuse throughout his career in Spain, with the most recent occurrence taking place last Saturday during his match against Sevilla while playing for Los Blancos.

Expressing his distress over the racism he has encountered, the Brazilian footballer has frequently shared his experiences. As concerns about the adequacy of previous measures arise, Spanish soccer and legal bodies are intensifying their initiatives to tackle this issue.

Vinícius appeared as a witness in a Spanish court this month, recounting a racist incident that occurred at the Mestalla Stadium during a match between Madrid and Valencia. Three individuals were apprehended for allegedly directing racist comments towards the player and are facing charges of committing a hate crime.

Vinícius vies with Barcelona forward Raphinha for possession during a match in Arlington, Texas, in July.

Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

When asked about Camps' tweet following Barcelona's 2-1 victory against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, Xavi, the manager of the team, told reporters that the fact that Camps deleted the tweet speaks for itself. Xavi stated that there is no need for him to say anything further, and if it has been deleted, they will leave it at that.

He went on to express his disliking for tension and emphasized the importance of having a Clásico match with fair play, respect, and mutual admiration. Xavi also made it clear that he wants the focus to be on playing football and not on generating unnecessary tension, as they have experienced tense Clásico matches in the past.

The Saturday El Clásico, one of soccer's oldest and most renowned rivalries, brings together the first- and third-placed teams in La Liga, who are separated by just one point in the table. Last weekend's match between Sevilla and Real Madrid resulted in an unfortunate incident, as a spectator was expelled from the stadium and subsequently handed over to the authorities for racist behavior. As a consequence, their membership will be revoked by the Andalusian club.

Vinicius Jr. was targeted by racist abuse during matches last season while playing for Real Madrid.

Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Rio government names anti-racism law after Vinícius Jr.

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The man's monkey gestures towards Vinícius during the match were extensively shared on social media through footage and pictures. Vinícius expressed his thoughts on the incident in a statement to X, emphasizing the importance of Spanish authorities taking action to modify the legislation permanently. He further stated that these individuals should face criminal consequences for their actions.

Sevilla expressed their condemnation of any racist or xenophobic behavior and pledged to collaborate closely with authorities to ensure appropriate action is taken. Such behavior is not tolerated at Sevilla FC.

Rafael Yuste, Barcelona's vice-president for sport, referred to Camps' post as an untimely mistake.

In an interview with Movistar+ after Barça's victory over Shakhtar, he expressed the following statement: "We have had discussions with him and it is important for him, as well as the entire board of directors, to understand that we are representing the club. Even if it was an unintentional mistake, it should not have been made.

Yuste stated that he was unsure if Barcelona had apologized to Vinícius or Real Madrid, and he further added: "If the player is listening, Vinícius, I want to convey, on behalf of the vice-president for sports, that it was an unfortunate tweet and it will not happen again, neither from my colleague Miquel Camps nor from any other director."

Following the match between Madrid and Braga on Tuesday, Rodrygo, a teammate of Vinícius, expressed to the press his disapproval of Camps' post, deeming it "unfortunate" and "highly unappealing." Numerous reports from Spanish media indicate that Florentino Pérez, the president of Real Madrid, will not be attending this Saturday's El Clásico in Barcelona due to Camps' tweet and Barcelona's subsequent lack of response.

CNN has contacted Real Madrid and Vinícius for comment.