Benfica have faced severe criticism for a social media post that dismissed the testimonies of Real Madrid players who supported Vinicius Jr after the Brazilian alleged he was racially abused during a Champions League match. The incident occurred after Vinicius scored the only goal in the game against Benfica, leading to an altercation with Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni.
Match Halted Under UEFA Racism Protocol
Following the alleged abuse, Vinicius immediately reported the incident to referee Francois Letexier, who initiated UEFA's three-step racism protocol. The match was paused as per the guidelines, which allow referees to stop play, make public announcements, and potentially abandon games if racist behaviour continues.
Real Madrid Players Unite in Support
Several Real Madrid players publicly backed Vinicius after the match. Kylian Mbappe, who appeared visibly angry on the pitch, told journalists he heard Prestianni direct the same racist remark at Vinicius multiple times. Midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni also confirmed they and other teammates heard the abusive language.
"The players who were near said that Prestianni said something ugly, that shouldn't be said," Valverde stated. "If you cover your mouth to say something, it's because you are saying something that is not nice. I'm proud of my teammates who defended Vini and of Vini."
Benfica's Controversial Social Media Response
Before any official investigation could take place, Benfica posted a video on social media platform X attempting to refute the Real Madrid players' accounts. The club claimed that "given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard." Notably, Benfica's official English X account did not share this post or Prestianni's denial statement, which their Portuguese account did publish.
Prestianni has unequivocally denied the racism allegations, suggesting his words were "misinterpreted." He stated: "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at Vinicius Jr, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard. I have never been racist to anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players."
Widespread Backlash Against Benfica
The social media post sparked immediate backlash, with many users pointing out that the video evidence actually shows Vinicius well within earshot of Prestianni. Critics accused Benfica of making baseless denials without properly acknowledging Vinicius's experience.
One social media user commented: "This is so poor from an official club account. First, the video absolutely does NOT show what you claim. At minimum, Vinicius is definitely in earshot of Prestianni. But also an outright baseless denial not even attempting to acknowledge Vinicius Jr is so sad and absolutely disgraceful."
Another supporter referenced Benfica's history, writing: "Eusebio's face would fall off from shame if he saw what you've turned Benfica into," referring to the club's legendary black Portuguese striker.
Mourinho's Controversial Comments
The controversy extends to Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who faced criticism for his post-match comments suggesting Vinicius might have provoked the incident. Mourinho noted that "in every stadium that Vinicius plays, something happens," while also asserting that Benfica cannot be racist because "the biggest person in the history of this club was black," referring to Eusebio.
UEFA Investigation Underway
UEFA has confirmed the incident between Vinicius and Prestianni will be thoroughly investigated. The three-step protocol activated during the match represents a structured approach to addressing racism in football:
- Stop the game and request a public announcement asking spectators to cease racist behaviour immediately
- If the behaviour continues, stop the game for five to ten minutes, remove players from the pitch, and make another announcement
- If racist behaviour resumes after the second restart, the referee may abandon the game after assessing security concerns
All such cases are then referred to UEFA's disciplinary authorities for further action. The football community now awaits the outcome of the investigation while debates continue about how clubs should respond to allegations of racism and support affected players.
