The Champions League knockout playoff between Benfica and Real Madrid was delayed by 10 minutes on Tuesday night after Vinicius Junior reported an alleged racial incident. The Brazil attacker had just scored an outstanding opening goal in the 50th minute of the match in Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz when anger built among home supporters, objects raining down on the pitch as Vinicius celebrated by the corner flag. The exuberance of his celebrations earned Vinicius a yellow card from referee Francois Letexier while tensions frayed between both sets of players.
It was soon after that Vinicius sprinted over to Letexier and was seen pointing at Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni. The French referee made a gesture of crossed arms above his head, an initiative adopted by FIFA in 2024 to allow players and officials to signal that they believe racist abuse has taken place on the field. Television cameras caught Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni speaking to Vinicius with his jersey covering his mouth; the Real Madrid man appeared to subsequently make reference to that while speaking to Letexier.
Posting on his Instagram stories after the game, Vinicius said: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are. But they have, on their side, the protection of others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish. Nothing that happened today is new in my life and my family’s.
“I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don’t like appearing in situations like this, even more so after a great victory and when the headlines have to be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”
FIFA president Gianna Infantino chimed in on Wednesday morning as the sport’s global governing body released a statement:
“I was shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism towards Vinícius Júnior in the UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF. There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account. At FIFA, through the Global Stand Against Racism and the Players’ Voice Panel, we are committed to ensuring that players, officials and fans are respected and protected, and that appropriate action is taken when incidents occur. I commend referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the arm gesture to stop the game and address the situation. FIFA and football shows full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!”
Speaking after the game, several visiting players also alleged that Prestianni had racially abused their teammate.
“This can’t happen,” Aurelien Tchouameni told Movistar. “Vini told us that the kid called him a ‘monkey.’ [Prestianni] said he didn’t say anything, that he said … I don’t know, ‘f–gots’ or whatever.”
Federico Valverde added, “We don’t know for sure, but according to all the teammates who were nearby, he said something nasty that shouldn’t be said. We’ve been fighting for this for a long time. Vini has fought for this, and if this keeps happening, it’s a shame that a camera didn’t record it.
“If you cover your mouth to say something, it means what you’re saying isn’t right. It’s a shame. I’m proud of the teammates who defended Vini and proud of Vini for carrying on.”
Meanwhile, a member of the Benfica coaching staff was shown a red card as tempers built across the field. Vinicius was spotted in an embrace with Jose Mourinho before sitting on the Madrid bench, the delay to proceedings running to 10 minutes before the match was resumed at the hour mark.
Speaking after the game, Mourinho, who was sent off for a separate incident, revealed that he had told Vinicius that “the last thing [Benfica] is is racist,” pointing to the fact that their greatest ever player, Eusebio, was black. The Benfica head coach said he wished to remain “independent” in regards to what may have been said by Prestianni but criticised Vinicius for his celebrations.
“Unfortunately, he was not just happy to score the goal,” Mourinho told Amazon. “When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
When it was put to the former Real Madrid manager that Vinicius had suffered racist abuse on several other occasions during his career, Mourinho said, “Stadiums that Vinicius plays in, something happens, always.”
Thierry Henry on alleged racial incident involving Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior: ‘We belong, right?’
Chuck Booth
Though there were no further flashpoints between the players, Vinicius’ every touch was booed by the Estadio da Luz and the game was stopped momentarily in the 96th minute as items were thrown onto the pitch by supporters and once again in the 103rd minute as 12 minutes of added time were issued. Madrid would ultimately hold onto their lead with relative ease.
“Disgraceful to the sport,” was how Trent Alexander-Arnold described the incident to CBS Sports. “It’s disappointing. It’s ruined the night. It’s a disgrace to the sport and society. There’s no place for it.
“If incidents like this do happen, we can only deal with it like we did tonight. Very proud of the team, the club and the squad, how everyone reacted and got around Vini. You can see it’s something upsetting and disappointing. We reacted the right way, we kept our heads and kept calm. We defended each other and we also played very well.”
Vinicius has been racially abused on multiple occasions during his time as a Real Madrid player, particularly in 2023, when the incidents included an effigy of him being hung on a bridge in the Spanish capital before a match against Atletico Madrid. His campaigns against such intolerance and hatred have won the 25-year-old widespread admiration in the footballing world and beyond, with the states of Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul implementing “Vinicius Junior laws” that will see sporting contests suspended over incidents of racist abuse.
The Brazilian football federation swiftly issued a statement of support for their star player.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) stands in solidarity with Vinicius Junior, victim of yet another act of racism this Tuesday, after scoring for Real Madrid against Benfica in Lisbon. Racism is a crime. It is unacceptable. It cannot exist in football or anywhere else,” the statement read.
“Vini, you are not alone. Your action in activating the protocol is an example of courage and dignity. We are proud of you. We will remain firm in the fight against all forms of discrimination. We are by your side. Always.”
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