Valencia have slammed Netflix and claimed that the documentary about Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior 'does not reflect reality' as they threaten to sue.
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Netflix release Vinicius Jr. documentary Valencia contest 'falsehood' claims in docThreaten legal action if 'mistake' not amendedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Produced by Brazil's Conspiracao, the Netflix documentary titled "Vini Jr." was released globally last week and provided a detailed examination of Vinicius' personal and professional life, with a focus on recent events. A significant portion of the documentary focused on incidents from Real Madrid's 1-0 loss to Valencia at the Mestalla in 2023, when the Brazilian confronted a group of Valencia fans and alerted referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who halted the game to follow La Liga's racist abuse protocol. Three supporters received jail sentences and stadium bans twelve months later, marking Spain’s first legal ruling of this nature.
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As part of the footage from that match, the Netflix documentary shows a TikTok video showing Valencia fans yelling at Vinicius Jr, with the transcription 'mono' (monkey) rather than 'tonto' (fool). In a statement released on social media and their club website, Los Che have now contested the transcription as a “falsehood” and have threatened that they “reserve the right to take legal action” should it not be amended by Netflix.
Getty Images SportWHAT VALENCIA'S STATEMENT SAID
On Monday afternoon, Valencia released a statement which read: "As a response to injustice and falsehoods made towards the Valencia CF fanbase, the club have made a demand in writing to the producers of the documentary regarding their portrayal of what occurred at Mestalla, which does not correspond with reality.
"Truth and respect for our fans must prevail. Valencia CF reserve the right to legal action corresponding to the situation. #RESPECT".
WHAT NEXT?
Despite Valencia having been sanctioned by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and fans having been found guilty in court, Los Che continue to back the claim that fans were indeed saying 'tonto' and not 'mono' during the clash. Valencia striker Hugo Duro also commented over the weekend about the documentary and said: "Anybody who’s gone to Mestalla, anybody who’s seen the video, you can see ‘tonto’ is said.
“I don’t know why we want to subtitle it with something that wasn’t said.
“Three idiots — I think it was three, I don’t remember anymore, however many there were — were punished in the way they deserved and not for that does the rest deserve to be tarnished as a racist fanbase when it’s a lie and there’s lots of videos that show it.”
