'Painful and shameful' - Real Madrid & Vinicius Jr receive apology from Albacete after Copa del Rey shock marred by racist incidents

The second-tier outfit pulled off a monumental upset on Wednesday evening, dumping European giants Real Madrid out of the competition with a thrilling 3-2 victory. However, the magic of the Copa del Rey has once again been tarnished by the spectre of racism amid some abhorrent behaviour of a minority of supporters.

In a strongly worded statement released in the aftermath of the match, Albacete officials admitted they were "pained and ashamed" by the incidents targeting Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian forward, who played the full 90 minutes of the tie, was subjected to a banana being thrown in his direction amid the home team's celebrations. Furthermore, the club acknowledged that "disgusting xenophobic chants" had been directed at the player by a group of fans gathering outside the stadium prior to kick-off.

"It is both painful and shameful that terrible, disgraceful, and reprehensible racist images tarnished a magical night," the club’s official statement read. 

Albacete have moved quickly to try and identify those responsible for the abuse, launching an internal investigation immediately after the final whistle. The club have vowed to work hand-in-hand with the authorities to ensure that the individual who threw the object is brought to justice.

"We are working to identify the person who threw a banana onto the pitch," the statement continued. "We are requesting the assistance of the relevant authorities and our fans, whose cooperation we ask for during this process."

Albacete have stated unequivocally that they will take "all disciplinary measures within its power" to ensure the culprits "never set foot in the Carlos Belmonte stadium again." This lifetime ban approach mirrors the zero-tolerance policy that La Liga and Spanish clubs have been attempting to implement more rigorously in recent seasons.

The club were also keen to separate the actions of a "small group" from the wider fanbase, who created an electric atmosphere for the cup tie. "Albacete, on behalf of all its exemplary fans, wishes to show its support for Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid and all Madridistas in the face of such despicable behaviour," they added.

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Tragically, this is far from an isolated incident for Vinicius. The 25-year-old has become a lightning rod for racist abuse in Spanish stadiums, enduring a campaign of hate that has spanned several years. The relentless nature of the persecution has previously taken a visible toll on the player. In March 2024, the winger broke down in tears during a press conference, confessing that he felt "less and less like playing football" because the perpetrators were going unpunished.

However, the legal landscape has begun to shift since those comments. In June 2024, a landmark ruling saw three Valencia fans sentenced to eight months in prison for racially abusing the Brazilian - the first criminal conviction for racism inside a Spanish football stadium. This was followed in September 2024 by a one-year prison sentence for a Mallorca supporter who targeted Vinicius and Samuel Chukwueze.

Despite these legal victories, incidents continue to plague the game. As recently as May 2025, suspended prison sentences were handed out to Real Valladolid fans, and in August 2025, La Liga reported chants directed at Vinicius and his teammate Kylian Mbappe during a match at Real Oviedo. The incident at Albacete serves as a stark reminder that despite stricter punishments, the culture of abuse has not yet been fully eradicated.

For Real Madrid, the evening was a disaster on all fronts. Not only were their players subjected to abuse, but the team suffered a humiliating exit from the Copa del Rey in what was Alvaro Arbeloa’s first game as head coach. The former full-back, who took the reins following the departure of Xabi Alonso, could not have envisioned a worse start to his tenure.

Losing 3-2 to second-division opposition would be a crisis in isolation, but coupled with the toxicity directed at his star forward, Arbeloa now faces a massive job to lift the morale of his squad. The "magical night" Albacete spoke of was a nightmare for Los Blancos, who must now regroup quickly for Saturday's La Liga clash against Levante.