Lisbon was meant to be the stage for a triumphant Champions League playoff victory for Real Madrid, but Tuesday night’s match at the Estádio da Luz descended into infamy.
In the aftermath of a 1-0 win over Benfica, French superstar Kylian Mbappé has launched a impassioned call for UEFA to issue the maximum possible sanction against Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, following allegations of racist abuse directed at teammate Vinícius Júnior that halted play for nearly ten minutes.
The flashpoint occurred just five minutes into the second half. Vinícius Jr. had curled a stunning strike into the top corner to give Real Madrid the lead. As the Brazilian celebrated, he was confronted by several Benfica players.
It was during this melee that the incident with Prestianni took place. Television footage shows the Argentine covering his mouth with his shirt while appearing to direct comments at Vinícius. The Real Madrid forward immediately ran to referee François Letexier, who activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, pausing the game.
Speaking emphatically in the mixed zone after the match, Mbappé did not hold back, revealing the specific nature of the allegations. He stated that he had clearly heard the insult repeated multiple times and demanded that European football’s governing body take decisive action.
“What I saw is very clear: number 25 said five times to Vini that you are a monkey,” Mbappé told reporters, as quoted by beIN Sports. “Everyone can have their opinion, but this kind of behavior is unacceptable. It’s wonderful to play in the Champions League, but showing this image is terrible for world football.”
Mbappé did not mince his words regarding Prestianni’s actions, insisting that attempting to conceal the insult only compounded the offense. “I called him racist because I think he is,” the French forward added.
“He tried to hide behind his shirt, but his face doesn’t lie. This type of person is not a professional colleague. A young player cannot have the freedom to say things like this on a football field. It’s a big problem, and we’ll see what happens”.
The incident left the Real Madrid squad contemplating a collective walk-off. Mbappé revealed that the team was prepared to abandon the match entirely, leaving the decision to the man at the center of the storm.
“We thought about leaving the pitch,” Mbappé admitted. “I said to Vini, ‘What do you want to do?’ In the end, it was Vini who had this said to him. Whatever you want to do, we’ll do it, as a team”.
While acknowledging the competitive spirit of the opposition, Mbappé was adamant that Prestianni’s actions warranted exclusion from the competition. “We have to set an example for all the kids watching us. This behavior cannot be tolerated,” he said.
“I have nothing against Benfica or their coach, but a player like this does not deserve to play in the Champions League again. We hope UEFA will take action and not pretend nothing happened. This is a serious case”.
Vinícius Jr., who has been the target of repeated racist abuse throughout his career in Spain, later took to Instagram to voice his frustration. “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouths with their shirts to show how weak they are,” the Brazilian wrote.
“And, on top of that, they have the protection of others who are supposedly supposed to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my family’s life”.
The 20-year-old Prestianni has denied the allegations. In a statement posted on his Instagram account following the match, the Argentine winger claimed that his words had been misconstrued.
“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 ugly scenes were compounded by the behavior of the home crowd and Benfica’s own manager, José Mourinho. Following the restart, Vinícius Jr. was subjected to loud jeers and had objects thrown at him from the stands.
Mourinho, a former Real Madrid coach, suggested the player had incited the reaction with his celebration, a comment that drew sharp criticism from pundits.
With the second leg scheduled at the Santiago Bernabéu next week, the immediate focus shifts to UEFA’s disciplinary bodies. Referee Letexier’s official report will now be reviewed, and UEFA’s guidelines stipulate a minimum ten-match suspension for any player found guilty of racist conduct.
For Mbappé, however, the verdict is already clear. “We won the match, but that’s not what’s important,” he concluded. “There are things much more important than football”.