Real Madrid send evidence of racism against Vini Jr to UEFA | OneFootball

Real Madrid send evidence of racism against Vini Jr to UEFA | OneFootball

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·19 February 2026

Real Madrid send evidence of racism against Vini Jr to UEFA

Article image:Real Madrid send evidence of racism against Vini Jr to UEFA

Vini Jr was the victim of racism in yet another European football match


Last Tuesday (17th), Vini Jr was, once again, the victim of racism in Europe. As a result, Real Madrid (ESP) issued an official statement this Thursday (19th) stating that it had presented evidence to UEFA regarding what happened in the match against Benfica (POR).

What did Real Madrid’s statement say?

Real Madrid announces that today it has presented to UEFA all available evidence regarding the incidents that occurred last Tuesday, February 17th, during the Champions League match our team played in Lisbon against SL Benfica.


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Our club actively cooperated with the investigation opened by UEFA after the unacceptable episodes of racism that occurred during that match.

Real Madrid thanks the unanimous support, affection, and care that our player Vinicius Jr. has received from all sectors of the global football community.

Real Madrid will continue working, in collaboration with all institutions, to eradicate racism, violence, and hatred in sports and in society.

What happened?

In summary, Vini Jr scored the stunning goal that secured Real Madrid’s victory over Benfica four minutes into the second half. As usual, the forward celebrated the goal by dancing. However, players from the Portuguese team did not like it and started a commotion on the pitch.

Prestianni, one of the Benfica players who confronted Vini Jr, began calling the former Flamengo striker a ‘monkey’. The referee then activated the anti-racism protocol and stopped the match taking place in Lisbon, Portugal.

Was the player punished?

After about ten minutes of stoppage, the referee resumed the match between Real Madrid and Benfica. Prestianni, who committed the racist act against Vini Jr, did not receive any punishment 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.

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