European football’s governing body, UEFA, has confirmed it is reviewing official match reports following a tumultuous Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday night, during which Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior alleged he was the victim of racist abuse by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni.
The incident, which prompted a ten-minute halt in play, has since ignited a firestorm of controversy, with the player at the center of the accusation vehemently denying the claims.
The flashpoint occurred five minutes into the second half at the Estádio da Luz, moments after Vinicius Junior had scored a stunning individual goal to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. As the Brazilian celebrated near the corner flag, he became embroiled in an on-pitch confrontation.
Replays showed Prestianni lifting his shirt to cover his mouth while appearing to direct comments at the Real Madrid star.
Vinicius immediately approached referee François Letexier, who, after a brief conversation, made the official crossed-arms gesture to signal a complaint of racist abuse, triggering UEFA’s anti-racism protocol and temporarily suspending the match.
Following the game, which Real Madrid won 1-0, Vinicius Junior took to social media to express his frustration, not only at the alleged abuse but also at the handling of the subsequent protocol.
In a powerful statement on his Instagram story, the 25-year-old, who has been subjected to racist abuse on multiple occasions throughout his career in Spain, did not hold back.
“Racists are, above all, cowards,” Vinicius wrote. “They need to put their shirts in their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are. But they have protection from others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish. Nothing that happened today is new in my life and my family’s”.
He also questioned the effectiveness of the process, adding, “On the other side, just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose,” and lamented the yellow card he received for his goal celebration.
In response to the escalating situation, a UEFA spokesman confirmed that the governing body is now turning its attention to the incident. “The official reports from the matches played last night are currently being reviewed,” a UEFA spokesman said.
“Where matters are reported, proceedings are opened and, should they lead to disciplinary sanctions being imposed, they are announced on the UEFA disciplinary website”.
Shortly after the allegations surfaced, the accused, 20-year-old Gianluca Prestianni, issued a firm denial via his own Instagram account, a statement that was subsequently shared by Benfica. “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” Prestianni wrote.
“I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players”.
The Portuguese club also came to their player’s defense, posting a video of the incident on their official X account with the caption: “As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard”.
The incident has drawn widespread reaction from across the football world, with strong opinions from teammates, pundits, and the coaching staff. Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold did not mince his words, calling the episode “a disgrace to football.”
He said: “Vini has been subject to this a few times throughout his career. To ruin a night like this for our team is a disgrace. No place for it in football or society. It is disgusting”.
Vinicius’s teammate Kylian Mbappé went a step further, calling for the toughest possible sanction. Mbappé claimed he heard the slur, stating that Prestianni covered his mouth to call Vinícius a “monkey” five times.
“This guy doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore,” Mbappé declared. “We cannot accept that a player who plays in Europe’s top competition behaves like this. Now they have a serious case, and I hope they do something”.
However, the post-match comments from Benfica manager José Mourinho drew significant criticism. Mourinho suggested that Vinicius had incited the reaction with his celebration and pointed to the club’s legendary black striker, Eusébio, as proof that Benfica is not a racist institution.
“I told him, when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho recounted to Amazon Prime. “When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black. This club, the last thing that it is, is racist”.
He added, “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. A stadium where Vinicius plays something happens, always”.
These remarks were swiftly condemned by pundits and former players. Clarence Seedorf, the former Real Madrid midfielder, accused Mourinho of making “a big mistake.” He said: “He’s saying it’s OK, when Vinicius provokes you, to be racist and I think that is very wrong. We should never, ever justify racial abuse”.
Thierry Henry also weighed in, relating to Vinicius’s experience and highlighting the suspicious nature of Prestianni covering his mouth. “Let’s see how big of a man Prestianni is – tell us what you said,” Henry challenged.