Players, pundits and managers speak out as Vini Jr suffers alleged racial abuse in Real Madrid win at Benfica | OneFootball

Real Madrid found a way past Benfica in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie thanks to a superb Vinicius Jr strike – but that was not why the Brazilian was the post-match talking point.

The 25-year-old forward rippled the back of the net with a fantastic effort at the start of the second half, and was booked for his celebration by referee François Letexier. That in itself was a controversial decision, but paled in comparison to the alleged racial abuse suffered by the Real Madrid star shortly after.

The players had not made it so far as the centre circle to resume play by the time Vinicius Jr alleged that he had been the subject of a racist comment by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni – who held his shirt over his mouth while speaking to the Brazilian.

Kylian Mbappé explained that “there was a moment of tension with the Benfica players, which can happen because this is the Champions League and that’s normal because everyone wants to win for their fans.

“Then, Benfica’s number 25 – I don’t want to say his name, he doesn’t deserve it – started to talk badly. Then he lifted up his shirt to say that Vini is a monkey five times, I heard it. There are Benfica players that heard it too. And from that point on, you all saw that happened,” he told the club’s website.

Play was paused for ten minutes in Lisbon under the appropriate protocol for these events, and as Real Madrid closed in on a crucial win, Alan Shearer – commentating for Amazon Prime – put it perfectly.

“What we should be talking about is a special goal. I suspect the headlines will be very, very different,” he said. And that they were, with players and pundits alike reflecting on a sobering night at the Estádio da Luz.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid in the summer, highlighted that Vinicius Jr “has been subject to this a few times throughout his career and he has handled it excellently.

“I can’t comment too much on it as it’s an ongoing investigation at this point, but I think what has happened tonight is a disgrace to football and overshadowed the performance as well after an amazing goal,” he told Amazon Prime.

Álvaro Arbeloa stood by his star forward in his post-match press conference, urging Prestianni to clarify what he said to Vinicius Jr, suggesting that “everyone in the footballing world deserves the answer to this question.

“There has to be absolutely zero tolerance for racism. These things can’t happen on a football pitch in 2026.

“Obviously, I believe what Vini told me he was called. I don’t believe that he would invent such a thing and I’m never going to sow doubt in his words,” the 43-year-old Real Madrid manager commented.

José Mourinho’s comments, though, left a lot to be desired.

In conversation with Amazon Prime, the Benfica boss commented: “These talents are able to do beautiful things, but unfortunately he was not just happy to score that astonishing goal. When you score like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.

“I told him, when you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back. When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black,” he continued, referring to Portugal’s Eusébio, who played for Benfica for 15 years in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mourinho also insisted that he was told “different things” by both Vinicius Jr and Prestianni, “but I don’t believe in one or the other; I want to be an independent.”

“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium; a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always.”

Clarence Seedorf, who spent four years at Real Madrid during his playing career, criticised Mourinho’s comments.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, the Dutchman said: “I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse, and I’m not saying that was the case today, but he mentioned something more than today.

“He said wherever [Vinicius Jr] goes, these things happen – so he’s saying it’s okay when Vinicius provokes you, that it’s okay to be racist, and I think that is very wrong.

“We should never, ever justify racial abuse, and Vinicius has had enough of that unjustified behaviour from people. I know Mourinho by heart would agree with me but he expressed himself a bit unfortunately, I believe, because we should not be telling the people at home that if someone makes a dance or something, then it’s okay to be racist.”