Spanish authorities have arrested four individuals in connection with an alleged online campaign aimed at racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. The campaign reportedly encouraged fans to wear black face masks to conceal their identities while engaging in racist behavior towards the Brazilian forward.

Vinicius Jr, 24, has been vocal about the racial abuse he has endured throughout his career, even breaking down emotionally during a press conference earlier this year. He expressed his frustration, admitting that the constant discrimination has made him feel “less and less” inclined to continue playing football.

The four men were taken into custody on 14 and 15 October but were later released as investigations continue. While the Spanish national police have not disclosed their identities, they confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing and could lead to further arrests. The racist campaign, which went viral online, sparked significant concern across Spain, leading to these arrests.

The first action by the police took place on 29 September ahead of the La Liga derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium. The campaign, circulated under the hashtag “Metropolitano with a mask” in English, stirred tensions, although no specific racist incidents occurred during the match itself. However, the game was briefly suspended when objects were thrown onto the pitch.

This isn’t the first time racist abuse has targeted Vinicius Jr. In June, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for their involvement in racist incidents during a match in May 2023. Following these ongoing issues, Vinicius has said that he and his teammates will walk off the pitch if faced with more racism this season, emphasizing that stopping matches may be the only solution to ending racism in football.

Celtic delivered a resolute defensive performance to secure a vital point in a 0-0 draw against last season’s Europa League champions, Atalanta, in Bergamo. The Scottish champions, who had lost all seven of their previous matches in Italy in the Champions League, defied history and immense pressure from the Serie A side to stay firmly in contention for the knockout stages.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was instrumental in keeping Celtic in the game, making a string of crucial saves, while Atalanta squandered several clear chances. Despite dominating much of the play and bombarding Celtic’s defense with crosses, Atalanta struggled to break down the determined Scottish side.

Celtic’s result comes as a significant boost after their earlier group-stage experiences, where they enjoyed a 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava but were humiliated 7-1 by Borussia Dortmund. This draw marks only their second-ever away clean sheet in the competition, a testament to their improved defensive organization.

Atalanta’s strategy to exploit Celtic’s vulnerability to crosses was clear, but the visitors held firm. Mario Pasalic came closest to scoring for the hosts, seeing his header rattle the crossbar in the first half, with Schmeichel beaten. Schmeichel also produced fine stops to deny Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui, particularly in a challenging spell before halftime.

Celtic, while primarily focused on defense, had a few notable moments going forward. Nicolas Kuhn broke into the box after outpacing the Atalanta defense, though he was eventually crowded out. Early in the second half, Alex Valle almost gave Celtic the lead with a deflected strike that required a save from Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi.

As the game progressed, Atalanta continued to apply pressure, with Marten de Roon’s powerful effort forcing another save from Schmeichel. Celtic substitute Kyogo Furuhashi had a late chance, but his lobbed effort landed just wide of the mark.

Despite Atalanta’s dominance in possession, Celtic’s defensive resilience frustrated the Italian side, and the visitors held out for a well-earned point. The draw leaves Celtic with four points from three games and two upcoming home fixtures against RB Leipzig and Club Brugge, giving them a solid platform in their quest to reach the knockout stages.

Celtic’s traveling fans were full of praise at the final whistle, celebrating a determined and disciplined display that keeps their European hopes alive.

Brest and Bayer Leverkusen saw their perfect starts to the Champions League group stage come to an end with a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Guingamp. Both sides, having won their first two matches, now sit on seven points following the intense encounter.

Leverkusen took the lead in the 24th minute through Florian Wirtz, who calmly slotted home after being set up by Jonas Hofmann. Wirtz nearly doubled his tally moments later with a dazzling run past four Brest defenders, but his effort was denied by Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot.

Despite Leverkusen’s dominance early on, Brest found an equalizer just before halftime. Pierre Lees-Melou delivered a stunning volley, ensuring the French side went into the break level. Brest, participating in their first-ever Champions League campaign, continued to press in the second half. Lees-Melou and Kenny Lala both had shots narrowly miss the target, while Bizot made another key save, tipping Mahdi Camara’s shot over the bar.

Leverkusen regained control in the later stages, with Massadio Haidara nearly scoring an own goal while attempting to clear a dangerous cross from Wirtz. The German champions also had two penalty appeals turned down by referee Ivan Kruzliak. The first came when Lees-Melou’s arm was struck by the ball, but it was judged to be in a natural position. The second, and more controversial, incident occurred in the final minute of normal time when Hofmann went down in the box after a challenge by Soumaila Coulibaly. Both the on-field referee and the VAR ruled that Coulibaly had made contact with the ball first, prompting protests from Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who was shown a yellow card after the final whistle for his heated objections.

Despite the draw, both teams remain in strong positions in their group, with seven points each from three matches. Brest, with their spirited performance in their debut Champions League campaign, continue to impress, while Leverkusen will look to maintain their form as the group stage progresses.