MADRID — Spanish club Valencia said on Monday they filed a lawsuit against Netflix claiming falsehoods in a documentary about Brazil player Vinícius Júnior.

Valencia said the documentary mistakenly accused a large group of Valencia fans of making racist chants against the Real Madrid forward in a LaLiga match in 2023.

The club filed the lawsuit after its public demands for corrections by the documentary’s production company were not fulfilled.

The lawsuit is against Netflix and the production company for damaging “Valencia’s honor.” It seeks financial compensation, corrections of the subtitles in the documentary, and the publication of the sentencing, the club said.

Valencia first threatened the lawsuit earlier this year. At the time, Vinícius’ representatives said the player would not get involved because the demand was against Netflix and the producers of the documentary.

A request for comment sent to Netflix was not immediately answered.

The documentary includes a social media video showing what appeared to be a large crowd at Mestalla Stadium chanting at Vinícius. The video has the word “mono,” Spanish for monkey, in the subtitles. But Valencia claims the fans were actually chanting “tonto,” which is Spanish for silly.

Then-Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was quick to accuse the Valencia fans of racially insulting Vinícius, but later apologized after saying he realized it wasn’t the entire stadium chanting the word monkey.

There were fans who did racially abuse Vinícius during that match. Three of them became the first fans to be convicted in racism-related cases in professional soccer in Spain. They were handed eighth-month prison sentences.

During their trial, experts showed that the video with the subtitles “monkey” was edited and did not correspond to reality, according to Spanish media.

Vinícius, who was repeatedly subjected to racist insults in Spain, was in tears during that 2023 match against Valencia. He confronted a Valencia fan who called him a monkey and made monkey gestures from the stands behind one of the goals.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

Is there anything Mary Fowler can’t do?

On Monday, the Australia and Manchester City superstar became the first professional footballer to hit the runway for L’Oréal Paris at Paris Fashion Week.

“Stepping onto the runway was an exhilarating experience and different from anything I’ve experienced on the football pitch, ” Fowler said.

“To walk alongside such inspiring figures … reinforced my belief that beauty is about embracing who we truly are and the confidence that comes with it.”

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Some of those inspiring figures included model Kendall Jenner, actress and activist Jane Fonda, Dame Helen Mirren, and EGOT winner, Viola Davis.

“I hope every young woman watching, especially back home in Australia, felt that sense of empowerment and is inspired to embrace their individuality and walk with pride, knowing they are worth it,” Fowler said.

The Matildas’ fan favourite swapped her usual green-and-gold kit for a black gown by American designer, Christian Siriano.

While the world is much more accustomed to seeing Fowler fly down the wing, the Man City attacker is currently sidelined after sustaining an ACL

However, Fowler recently hit a milestone in her recovery, taking to the grass for a run in August.

Matildas fans will be hoping her recovery continues to progress smoothly with the Women’s Asian Cup taking place in Australia in March 2026.