Luís Mateus on the Benfica controversy, says Vinícius has an issue | OneFootball

Luis Mateus states that "Vinícius Jr. has a problem". Addressing the controversy regarding the Benfica - Real Madrid match last Tuesday, February 17, the journalist "condemns racism", but argues that "one cannot condemn the person just yet".

"I don’t know what Prestianni said. I know what Vinícius said he heard. Both of them, and others as well, had several moments where they covered their mouths while speaking. Because if it used to be a point of honor that what happened on the field stayed on the field, as I’ve heard countless times since my early days as a journalist, today there are dozens of cameras and microphones that don’t allow that to happen," he began in his opinion piece for the newspaper Record.

Explaining this further, Luís Mateus emphasizes the facts: "It doesn’t bother me that they cover their mouths and speak only to each other. It’s part of the code. Protecting themselves means it may not be nice, but it’s not necessarily criminal or racist."

Additionally, he ‘halted’ the current criticism: "The condemnations of the phenomenon, I also know, are triggered by many things and, among them, by political correctness. Let’s condemn racism, but we cannot yet condemn the person. Not forgetting that we live in a strange world, in an ecosystem of hypocrisy, where World Cups and other FIFA competitions have been organized even as constant attacks on human rights are public knowledge."

In conclusion, Luís Mateus defended the image of the Argentine forward, setting aside certain ‘obstacles’: "However, I have learned, throughout life, that the right to respect for individuality, in this case race, does not replace others, such as the presumption of innocence. Not even social media can take the place of the courts." UEFA has opened an inquiry into the case, and intends to speed up its decision.

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