Thibaut Courtois on Vinicius-Prestianni case: homophobic abuse is just as serious

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·24 de fevereiro de 2026

Thibaut Courtois on Vinicius-Prestianni case: homophobic abuse is just as serious

Thibaut Courtois condemned racism and homophobia as he defended Vinicius Jr before Real Madrid’s Champions League play-off second leg with Benfica on Wednesday at 21:00. According to L'Équipe, the goalkeeper addressed the matter at a press conference.

Madrid won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon. The return is expected to be tense.

Vídeos OneFootball

UEFA has provisionally suspended Gianluca Prestianni for one match after he was accused of directing a racist insult at Vinicius during that game.

Prestianni denies the allegation, saying Vinicius misheard him, and he remains under investigation. Aurélien Tchouaméni said the Argentine told him it was a homophobic comment.

Courtois said homophobic abuse is just as serious, and he condemned images of Benfica fans making monkey gestures in the stands as deplorable.

Source: L'Équipe