Valencia responds to stadium closure punishment: Our total disagreement and indignation

Valencia have delivered a robust response to their punishment by the RFEF for racist abuse from fans aimed at Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr.

Valencia have been ordered to close the Mario Kempes stand for five games and have also been fined 45,000.

In response, the club released the following statement:

"Valencia CF wishes to show its total disagreement and indignation at the unfair and disproportionate sanction imposed by the Competition Committee on the Club with the closure of the Entertainment Stand for five games. Valencia CF wants to publicly denounce that in this resolution of the Competition Committee.

"The RFEF competition committee shows evidence that contradicts what the National Police and LaLiga say. In addition, this sanction is based on evidence that the Club has not been able to see and without giving us a hearing.

"Valencia CF has condemned, condemns and will condemn in the most energetic way any act of racism or violence. These behaviors have no place in football or in society and we will continue to act in the most emphatic way to eradicate this scourge. For this reason, Valencia CF is collaborating from the first minute with the Police and all the pertinent authorities in clarifying the events that occurred last Sunday.

"In addition, it has applied the maximum possible sanction with the expulsion for life from our stadium to the fans that the Police been identified for their racist behavior.

"For this reason we consider that penalizing and depriving all the fans who were not involved in these unfortunate incidents from being able to see their team is a totally disproportionate, unfair and unprecedented measure against which we will fight

"The fight against racism requires the real commitment of all the parties involved without using it as a pretext to incur serious injustices. Valencia CF will appeal to the last instance the closure of the Animation Stand, a sanction that it considers totally unfair and a grievance more in the latest disciplinary decisions that have been taken against the Club. Valencia CF requests the utmost respect and rigor for our institution and fans."