Lisbon was meant to be the stage for a spectacular Real Madrid victory, but Tuesday night’s Champions League play-off first leg against Benfica was overshadowed by yet another accusation of racist abuse aimed at forward Vinicius Junior.
The Brazilian international stormed off the pitch after alleging he was called a “mono” (monkey) by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, triggering FIFA’s anti-racism protocol and halting the match for over ten minutes.
The incident erupted moments after Vinicius scored a stunning solo goal in the 50th minute to give Madrid a 1-0 lead. As he celebrated near the corner flag, tensions flared. Television footage showed Prestianni confronting the Brazilian while covering his mouth with his shirt.
Vinicius immediately ran to referee Francois Letexier, gesturing that he had been the victim of a racial slur.
Following the match, a visibly frustrated Vinicius took to social media to express his anger and sorrow. “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to show how weak they are,” he wrote on Instagram, directly referencing Prestianni’s actions.
“But they have, at their side, the protection of others who, theoretically, are obligated to punish. Nothing that happened today should be tolerated in my life or my family’s. I don’t like to speak out in situations like this, especially after a big victory when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary”.
The accusation sent shockwaves through the football world. Real Madrid’s new signing, Trent Alexander-Arnold, did not hide his disgust. “It’s disgusting. What’s happened tonight is a disgrace for football. It’s ruined the night for the team,” the England full-back told reporters.
His teammate, Kylian Mbappe, was seen on broadcast feeds angrily confronting Prestianni on the pitch. Mbappe later alleged that he heard the Argentine repeat the slur multiple times. “We cannot accept there’s a player playing in Europe’s best competition and behaving like this,” the France captain said. “This guy doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League again”.
Madrid captain Federico Valverde backed his teammate, pointing to Prestianni’s act of covering his mouth as an admission of guilt.
“I don’t know what he said, but all the team-mates who were close by said he said something ugly, something he shouldn’t say,” Valverde told Movistar. “If you cover your mouth to say something it’s because he’s saying something that’s not good”.
In response to the global outcry, Prestianni denied the allegations in a statement on his own Instagram account. “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” the statement read. “I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players”.
The situation was further inflamed by comments from Benfica’s Portuguese head coach, Jose Mourinho. The former Real Madrid manager, who was sent off late in the match, suggested that Vinicius’s celebration was to blame for the ensuing chaos.
“When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way,” Mourinho said. He also appeared to question the frequency of incidents involving the Brazilian, stating, “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium – where Vinicius plays, something happens, always”.
Mourinho’s remarks drew immediate and sharp criticism from pundits. Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry accused Mourinho of attempting to deflect from the central issue.
“Mourinho as a coach did deflect the discussion. As soon as we came back, we started to talk about what? The celebration,” Henry said on CBS Sports. “Who cares? I want to know what Prestianni said. That’s when the game stopped, the game didn’t stop because of the celebration. The game stopped because of what Prestianni apparently said”.
Clarence Seedorf, the former Dutch midfielder, also condemned Mourinho’s stance, stating that it is never acceptable to justify racial abuse.
Despite the delay and the hostile atmosphere, which saw projectiles thrown at the Madrid players, the match resumed. Vinicius returned to the pitch, facing loud jeers from the home crowd for the remainder of the game, and saw out a vital victory for his club.
As UEFA considers an investigation, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the persistent racism plaguing European football, a fight Vinicius Junior has been forced to lead far too often. “It’s been happening for a long time,” Valverde lamented. “Many people have fought this, Vini is one of those who have fought about this, and it keeps happening”.