Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior left the pitch for around ten minutes after alleging that he was racially abused during his side’s Champions League win over Benfica.
After giving his side the lead in the 50th minute, a confrontation ensued with Benfica players taking exception to his celebration.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was then seen covering his mouth with his shirt and saying something to Vinicius, with the Brazilian immediately running to the referee and claiming he had been racially abused.
In a statement in Portuguese, which has been translated into English, Vinicius Junior said: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are.
“But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life.
“I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don’t like to appear in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”
Vinicius Junior’s team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold told Amazon Prime after the game: “I can’t comment too much on it as it is an ongoing investigation at this point.
“I think what has happened tonight is a disgrace to football and overshadowed the performance as well after an amazing goal.
“Vini has been subject to this a few times throughout his career. To ruin a night like this for our team is a disgrace. No place for it in football or society. It is disgusting.”
Real Madrid’s players react angrily (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa said: “You have to ask Benfica’s players, it is not a question for me.
“I think everyone can see what happened with Prestianni. He put his shirt in his mouth and now you have to ask him.
“What Vini said is not important. I think we need to fight against racism. It is the most important thing now in football. We support Vini now, of course, and now you have to ask them.
“Of course we have to fight against this type of attitude and to focus on football, but first we have to fight against things like that. We have to fight, especially the footballers. If we don’t respect each other it is difficult.”
Vinicius Junior with his manager Alvaro Arbeloa (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, however, defended his club and criticised Vinicius Junior’s celebration, while saying he did not want to comment on the incident between Vinicius and Prestianni specifically.
“I saw two completely different things,” he said. “I want to be independent, and I don’t comment about it. I told him [Vinícius] exactly that.
“I told him [Vinicius] – when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusebio] in the history of this club was black.
“This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. If in his mind there was something in relation to that – this in Benfica. They [Vinicius and Gianluca Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”
