FIFA president condemns racism against Vini Jr in Champions League | OneFootball

What did the FIFA president say about the racism case against Vini Jr?

FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, spoke out about the racism case against Vini Jr. According to the president, the referee was right to stop the game between Real Madrid (ESP) and Benfica (POR) in the Champions League and called for those responsible to be punished.

What was the FIFA president's statement?

“I was shocked and saddened to see the alleged incident of racism against Vinicius Junior in the UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid FC. There is absolutely no place for racism in our sport and society. We need all relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible accountable (…) I commend the referee, François Letexier, for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the arm gesture to stop the game and manage the situation,” he stated.

What happened in the Real Madrid vs. Benfica game?

First, Vini Jr scored a great goal for Real Madrid four minutes into the second half. The forward celebrated the goal with a dance, but the Benfica players did not like it and caused a commotion on the field.

Prestianni, one of the Benfica players who complained to Vini Jr, started calling the former Flamengo forward a ‘monkey’. The referee then activated the anti-racism protocol and stopped the match in Lisbon, Portugal.

Was Prestianni punished?

After about ten minutes, the referee resumed the match between Real Madrid and Benfica. Prestianni, who committed a racist act against Vini Jr, was not punished and remained on the field until the 35th minute of the second half.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.