Stan Collymore Demands FIFA Ban on Footballers Covering Mouths During Matches
Former Liverpool, Newcastle, and England striker Stan Collymore has called for professional football to ban players from covering their mouths with shirts or hands during on-pitch conversations. This demand follows explosive scenes during Tuesday night's UEFA Champions League play-off between Real Madrid and Benfica in Portugal, where Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of racially insulting him.
The Controversial Incident in Lisbon
During the match at Estadio de Luz, Prestianni pulled his shirt over his mouth while speaking to Vinicius Jr after the Brazilian had scored the only goal of the game on 50 minutes. This action prevented television cameras from identifying what was said, leading to allegations of racial abuse that caused the game to be halted for ten minutes. Vinicius Jr has claimed Prestianni called him a "monkey," while teammate Kylian Mbappe supported this account, stating he heard the slur repeated five times.
UEFA has confirmed it will investigate "allegations of discriminatory behaviour" and has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to examine the incident. The governing body stated further information would be made available in due course regarding the 2025/2026 Champions League Knock-out Play-off match.
Collymore's Strong Stance on Social Media
Taking to X, Collymore wrote emphatically: "The covering of the mouth with a hand or shirt should be banned from pro football. If players can't converse (team mates or opposition) within the laws and spirit of the game then they should be sanctioned." He elaborated that while trivial exchanges between players are acceptable, concealing discriminatory language is not.
"Nobody cares that one player tells another to f*** off or two opposition players walking off tell each other there was a s*** decision or are they meeting up in town later," Collymore continued. "But hiding homophobic, racist, religious or any other sanctionable communication isn't acceptable at all. A modern trend which is as much about molly coddling men babies as much as hiding anything that anyone would be interested in."
The former striker concluded with a direct appeal to football's governing body: "Time to outlaw it @FIFA, if you need to hide what you're saying then you shouldn't be saying it. Plenty of time in the tunnel or dressing room or players lounge."
Conflicting Accounts and Reactions
Prestianni has denied the racial abuse allegations, claiming on Instagram: "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to player Vinícius Junior, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard. I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players."
Later on X, the 20-year-old Argentinian winger questioned why Vinicius's teammates didn't react immediately if the alleged slur was so serious. He also defended covering his mouth as a common practice among footballers: "And everyone pointing fingers at me for covering up with my shirt when they know that all soccer players cover their mouths to talk. Don't try to make up more."
Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr released a powerful statement branding racists as "above all, cowards" who "need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are." The Brazilian expressed frustration that the headlines focused on the incident rather than Real Madrid's victory, but emphasized the necessity of speaking out.
Broader Context and Managerial Comments
The match was already tense before the alleged incident, with Benfica manager Jose Mourinho and a staff member receiving red cards. Mourinho offered a controversial perspective in post-match interviews, suggesting Vinicius had incited players and the crowd with his goal celebration. "I believe (Vinicius incited the players and the crowd)," Mourinho told Amazon Prime Video.
The Portuguese manager attempted to position himself as neutral regarding the conflicting accounts but made pointed remarks about the frequency of such incidents involving Vinicius: "There is something wrong because this happens in every stadium. In a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens - always."
Real Madrid players showed solidarity with their teammate, with Trent Alexander-Arnold describing the scenes as "disgusting" post-match. The Brazilian Football Federation released a statement condemning "yet another act of racism" allegedly suffered by Vinicius, affirming: "Racism is a crime. It is unacceptable. It cannot exist in football or anywhere else."
As UEFA's investigation proceeds, Collymore's proposal to ban mouth-covering has ignited debate about transparency, accountability, and the ongoing battle against discrimination in professional football.
