Vinicius’ Goal Overshadowed by Racism Controversy in Champions League Clash

omidbasir- Vinicius Junior scored the only goal of the match, leading Real Madrid to a 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their knockout round play-off. However, the match was marred by allegations of racist abuse from Gianluca Prestianni. Vinicius alerted the referee to the comments made by the Argentine player, resulting in the activation of the anti-racism protocol.

After a ten-minute suspension, the game resumed, but both Benfica and manager José Mourinho faced criticism for their responses to the incident. Benfica claimed that Prestianni was a victim of “defamation,” while Mourinho implied that Vinicius incited the abuse with his goal celebration, arguing that the club could not be racist given their association with football legend Eusébio.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his concern over the incident, stating, “I was shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism towards Vinicius Junior 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.”

He commended referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol during the match, emphasizing FIFA’s commitment to combat racism and discrimination in football. Infantino reiterated the message: “No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!”

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg also faced backlash for his comments made during the broadcast. He stated that Vinicius had made the situation more complicated for the referee by celebrating his goal, which led to immediate criticism. Clattenburg later apologized, acknowledging that his comments were clumsy and inappropriate, and he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from the incident.

A UEFA investigation is currently underway, and Prestianni could face a significant suspension if found guilty of racially abusing Vinicius. Prestianni has denied using any discriminatory language, asserting, “At no point did I direct racist insults at Vinicius Jr., who unfortunately misunderstood what he thought he heard. I have never been racist toward anyone.”

As the teams prepare for the return leg at the Bernabéu next week, the outcome remains uncertain. Benfica will need a victory to advance, but Kylian Mbappé has called for Prestianni to be banned from the Champions League for life, stating, “Prestianni clearly called Vini Jr a monkey, it happened five times. I saw that. This is not acceptable. It’s not my kind of human being.”