Referee's 'X' gesture halts Benfica v Real Madrid under FIFA anti-racism protocol | OneFootball

Referee François Letexier temporarily stopped Benfica v Real Madrid by signalling an X with his arms, triggering FIFA’s anti-racism protocol after Vinícius Júnior alleged racist abuse in the 1-0 away win.

According to Glorioso 1904, the incident followed Vinícius scoring, then being booked for his celebration. Before the restart he complained that Gianluca Prestianni had insulted him, allegedly using the Spanish word mono.

Play was halted for about 10 minutes, between the 50th and 60th minutes, amid confusion on the pitch and among the benches. The match then resumed without moving beyond the first step of the protocol.

Introduced by FIFA in 2024, the three stage process begins with an immediate stoppage after a report from the victim, a captain, coaching staff, the match organiser or the referee, alongside a stadium announcement. Only this step was applied on Tuesday.

If abuse persists, step two is a temporary suspension with teams sent to the dressing rooms. Continued incidents after the restart allow the referee, following consultation with security and competition and club delegates, to abandon the match.

Afterwards, Vinícius wrote on social media that racists are, above all, cowards. Kylian Mbappé called Prestianni a racist using a swear word and said UEFA should assess cases of this gravity, adding that such a player should not play in the Champions League.

Source: Glorioso 1904