A Champions League knockout playoff match between Benfica and Real Madrid was halted for 10 minutes Tuesday night after Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior alleged he was the target of racist abuse from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
The incident occurred in the 50th minute at Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz, shortly after Vinícius scored the opening goal for Real Madrid. According to reports, Vinícius approached referee François Letexier and indicated Prestianni had made a racially charged comment towards him. Television cameras captured Prestianni speaking to Vinícius with his jersey covering his mouth, prompting the Brazilian to subsequently reference the interaction with the referee.
Referee Letexier responded by activating FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, signaling a potential instance of racist abuse by crossing his arms above his head. The match was temporarily suspended as Vinícius went to the sidelines, where he was joined by both Benfica manager José Mourinho and Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
Prestianni has denied the allegations, posting on Instagram after the game that Vinícius “unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard” and stating he has “never been racist towards anyone.” He as well expressed regret over threats received from Real Madrid players.
The game resumed after the 10-minute delay, with Real Madrid ultimately winning 1-0. However, the match was overshadowed by the accusations of racism. Vinícius, who has previously been subjected to racist abuse in Spain, released a statement on Instagram following the game, saying, “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are.” He also criticized the protocol used by the referee, stating it served “no purpose” and questioned why he was issued a yellow card for celebrating his goal.
Teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold described the incident as “a disgrace to football,” while Kylian Mbappé stated, “something has to be done,” alleging he heard Prestianni repeatedly refer to Vinícius using a racial slur.
Benfica released a statement and video footage after the match, asserting that, “As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”
Clarence Seedorf, a former Real Madrid midfielder and pundit for the match, criticized Mourinho’s post-match comments, where the Benfica manager appeared to downplay the incident and referenced previous instances of Vinícius being targeted. Seedorf stated that Mourinho had made “a big mistake” by seemingly justifying racial abuse.
Sky News’ sports correspondent Rob Harris reported that Prestianni could face a ban if found guilty of racial abuse. The teams are scheduled to play the second leg of the playoff in Madrid.
