Real Madrid release statement on alleged racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior | OneFootball

Real Madrid have now declared a position on the alleged racial abuse from Gianluca Prestianni towards Vinicius Junior, following the incident on Tuesday night in their Champions League win over Benfica. Los Blancos have declared that it has taken an active role in the UEFA investigation into Prestianni’s alleged comments.

On Tuesday night, the anti-racism protocol was activated by the referee after Vinicius told him that he had been called a monkey by Prestianni. UEFA announced the following day that they had opened an investigation into the incident. If Prestianni is found guilty, he will be banned for a minimum of 10 games. Thus far he and Benfica have defended his innocence.

Real Madrid statement

Image via Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP vía Getty Images

On the night in question, Real Madrid released an update explaining that the anti-racism protocol had been activated. On Thursday, Real Madrid released a statement explaining they had helped gather evidence and submitted it to UEFA. They also expressed gratitude for the support from around the world.

Arbeloa and Kylian Mbappe statements

Manager Alvaro Arbeloa stated after the game that they were behind Vinicius, and would have walked off the pitch had he decided to do so. That message was echoed by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aurelien Tchouameni, but Kylian Mbappe went a step further, declaring that he had heard the racial abuse, and that Prestianni should be banned from the competition.