Vinicius feels ‘supported’ by Real Madrid, club to push for sanctions after racism incident | OneFootball

It surely cannot be easy to be Vinicius Jr. If the sky-high pressure and expectations were not enough weight on the player’s shoulders, the constant battle with racism has emerged as a new fight to warrior through week in and week out.

The team’s recent game against Benfica was a massive blow for the player in that sense, for he was racially abused by an opponent on the field. It comes as a new low for the sport, and it is appalling that the Portuguese side have only supported Gianluca Prestianni after everything.

The Benfica youngster insists that he did not abuse Vinicius and that the Brazilian star misinterpreted his words, but it is clear that the player would never lie about a matter as serious as what unfolded. In fact, it is clear that he must be deeply affected by the incident.

Support from the club

As confirmed by The Athletic in a recent report, sources close to Vinicius assure that the player feels supported by the club after everything that took place in Lisbon.

Vinicius feels fully supported by Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

After all, the club have done everything in their capacity to stand firmly by him, not only in the current scenario but his various attacks against racism in the past.

Further, many of his teammates have openly come out in support of the winger after the incident and harshly condemned Prestianni’s actions. They also walked off the field on the night temporarily, in a show of solidarity.

The outlet also adds that Real Madrid will not stop there and will push hard to ensure that appropriate sanctions are issued. It is up to UEFA to take action, but Los Blancos will play their part in ensuring justice is delivered.

With Prestianni covering his mouth at the time of the alleged slur, it is impossible to know what exactly was said. In that sense, it remains to be seen how UEFA validate the truth and take the required action.