Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior did not hold back in the wake of last night’s tense Champions League first-leg encounter at Benfica, branding Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni a “coward” over alleged racial abuse.
The Brazil international of Cameroonian descent had opened the scoring for Madrid in the 1-0 win, but his celebration provoked the home crowd and quickly escalated into a heated confrontation with Prestianni as the players returned to the centre circle.
UEFA protocols forced a ten-minute suspension of the match as referees assessed the situation, leaving the stadium in stunned silence.
Following the incident, Vinicius took to social media to address the events directly, calling out the behaviour he described as cowardly.
“Racists are, first and foremost, cowards. They need to cover their mouths with their shirts to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others who, in theory, have the obligation to punish them,” he wrote.
“Nothing that happened today has anything to do with my life or my family. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why.
“On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don’t like to show up in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the starters have to be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”
The Brazilian star’s statement comes amid mounting scrutiny over how European competitions tackle racial abuse, with UEFA’s response under the microscope following repeated high-profile incidents.
