Diego Costa has defended Vinicius Jnr for the Brazilian's strident opposition to racial abuse he suffered last season.
The Brazilian winger was sent off after he reacted angrily following the abusive chants from fans at the Mestalla during Real Madrid's game against Valencia in May.
Though the card was rescinded, and Valencia were fined despite initially labelling sanctions against them 'unfair and disproportionate', the incident brought back up the issue of racism in football.
And Vinicius, who criticised the Spanish Football Federation for their lax policing of the problem, enjoyed backing from the wider footballing community for his stance.