UEFA investigates Real Madrids Vinicius over alleged racist abuse allegations

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior Alleges Racist Abuse Against Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni in UEFA Champions League

A dispute between Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni has been reported to the UEFA authorities. The incident occurred during Tuesday’s first leg of the knockout phase playoff tie at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. According to reports, Prestianni allegedly used a racial slur towards Vinicius after a confrontation between the two players.

The match was halted for over 10 minutes while French referee Francois Letexier investigated the allegations. UEFA has since confirmed that it will be investigating the claims of discriminatory behavior. Vinicius Junior reported that he had been called “mono” by Prestianni, which is the Spanish word for monkey.

Prestianni denies making any racist comments towards Vinicius Junior. Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and forward Kylian Mbappe have expressed their disappointment with the incident. Benfica coach Jose Mourinho has also commented on the matter, stating that he believes Vinicius Junior should not have celebrated his goal in a certain way.

The British football anti-discrimination body Kick It Out has criticized Mourinho’s response to the allegations, accusing him of “gaslighting”. The organization emphasized the importance of listening to and supporting individuals who report discrimination.

Source: Al Jazeera