Benfica Denies Racism Allegations, Shares New Footage of Incident
Benfica has firmly rejected accusations of racist abuse made against one of their players, Gianluca Prestianni, following a controversial Champions League match against Real Madrid on Tuesday night. The Portuguese club has released new pitchside footage that they claim casts doubt on whether the alleged slurs were even audible to the Real Madrid players involved.
Match Halted Amid Racism Allegations
The high-stakes contest at the Estadio de Luz was interrupted for ten minutes after referee Francois Letexier made a crossed arms gesture to signal reported racial abuse. Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr was identified as the alleged victim of the abuse, which occurred after he opened the scoring in the match.
According to Vinicius, as he walked back to the centre circle with teammates following his goal, Prestianni directed a racist remark at him, specifically calling him a 'monkey.' This claim was supported by teammate Kylian Mbappe. However, fellow Madrid player Aurelien Tchouameni offered a conflicting account to media, suggesting the Benfica star had instead used a homophobic slur.
Benfica's Controversial Response
In a stunning intervention on social media, Benfica shared an alternative angle of the exchange between Prestianni and Vinicius. The club's official account stated: 'As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard.' This assertion has sparked significant backlash from football fans and observers worldwide.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho's response to the controversy has also drawn sharp criticism. Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, Mourinho suggested Vinicius had 'incited' Benfica's players and fans with his exuberant goal celebration. 'When you score a goal like that you celebrate in a respectful way,' Mourinho commented, adding that Vinicius should have simply celebrated and walked back after his 'astonishing goal.'
Mourinho's Controversial Comments
During the lengthy pause in play, Mourinho was seen speaking with both Vinicius and Mbappe. He later revealed what he told the Brazilian forward: 'I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. And then when he was arguing about racism I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black. This club, the last thing it is is racist.'
Mourinho further suggested there was a pattern to such incidents involving Vinicius, stating: 'There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays [in] something happens. Always.'
Football Community Reacts
Mourinho's comments left Amazon Prime pundits including Wayne Rooney, Clarence Seedorf, and Theo Walcott stunned. Seedorf described Mourinho's remarks as a 'big mistake,' arguing that the Portuguese manager appeared to be justifying racial abuse by suggesting Vinicius provoked such responses.
Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards, covering the match for CBS Sports, highlighted what they perceived as hypocrisy in Mourinho's criticism. Carragher noted: 'This is a guy who celebrates and antagonises the opposition probably more than any coach has ever done in the past... so it's a bit rich coming from him to have a pop at Vinicius Jr for his celebration.'
Richards expressed disappointment with Mourinho's stance, stating: 'I expect better from him because he is a powerful person within the sport, a lot of people listen to what he says... I just feel a little bit let down.'
The incident has reignited discussions about racism in football and how clubs respond to such allegations, with Benfica's decision to question whether the Real Madrid players actually heard the alleged abuse representing a controversial approach to addressing the serious claims.
