Valencia threaten legal action over Vinícius Júnior's Netflix documentary

Updated: 20 May, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Valencia threaten legal action over Vinícius Júnior's Netflix documentary

La Liga side Valencia have threatened legal action against the producers of Vinícius Júnior's new Netflix documentary, accusing them of misrepresenting an incident of alleged racism at the Mestalla Stadium during a match against Real Madrid.

The series, titled "Baila, Vini", explores Vinícius' rise from the favelas of Brazil to the pinnacle of European football.

However, one segment has sparked intense backlash from the Spanish club.

The Scene in Question

A controversial scene in the documentary revisits the May 2023 La Liga clash at Mestalla, where Vinícius was racially abused from the stands.

The incident led to the match being paused and later resulted in jail sentences for three fans.

Valencia, though, believe the documentary mistranslates crowd chants, accusing Netflix of falsely subtitling the word "tonto" (stupid) as "mono" (monkey) - a slur central to the racism controversy.

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.

Legal Threats and Prior Tensions

Valencia's response echoes their immediate stance after the match, when the club threatened to sue Madrid's Rodrygo for comments supporting Vinícius' allegations and claiming the entire stadium had engaged in racist chanting.

Though three individuals were eventually arrested and punished, Valencia have consistently rejected suggestions of widespread racism among their fans.

Netflix has yet to publicly respond to the claims, nor has Vinícius commented on Valencia's statement.

A Wider Impact

The match and its fallout became a landmark moment in Spanish football, with international attention and pressure mounting on La Liga and the Spanish FA to crack down on racism in stadiums.

Vinícius, often targeted throughout his time in Spain, has since become a prominent voice in the fight against racism in sport.

The release of the documentary was expected to cement his influence beyond the pitch, but now the documentary may face legal scrutiny of its own.

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