Real Madrid has provided UEFA with “all available evidence” regarding the alleged racist remarks aimed at Vinícius Júnior during their Champions League match against Benfica.
“Our club has been fully cooperative with the investigation launched by UEFA following the unacceptable incidents of racism that occurred during that match,” the club stated on Thursday, without providing further details on the evidence submitted.
On Wednesday, UEFA appointed a special investigator to collect details surrounding the incident that transpired in Lisbon during Real’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage.
Vinícius accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of using the term “monkey” towards him after the Brazilian scored the match’s only goal. Prestianni and other Benfica players expressed frustration towards Vinícius following his goal celebration by the Benfica corner flag.
Prestianni was seen covering his mouth with his shirt when he allegedly made the remark and has denied making any racial slur against Vinícius, who is Black and has faced ongoing racist abuse in Spain.
“Real Madrid appreciates the overwhelming support and solidarity shown to our player Vinícius Júnior from the global football community,” the club emphasized. “We remain committed to collaborating with all institutions to combat racism, violence, and hatred in sports and society.”
The match was temporarily halted for nearly 10 minutes in alignment with UEFA’s protocol after Vinícius reported that he had been subjected to abuse during his goal celebration, although he completed the match.
Following the game, Vinícius shared on his Instagram: “Racists are ultimately cowards. They need to cover their mouths with their shirts to reflect their weakness.”
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“However, they receive protection from those who are supposed to impose consequences. What happened today is not new to me or my family.”
“I was issued a yellow card for celebrating a goal, yet I still don’t understand the rationale behind this. On the flip side, the protocol executed was poorly managed and served no real purpose.”
Benfica responded by alleging that Prestianni is the target of a “defamation campaign” and expressed their full support and belief in Prestianni’s account regarding the incident, welcoming UEFA’s investigation.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his “shock and sadness” at the reported incident of racism and commended the referee for initiating the anti-racism protocol when the match was interrupted for almost 10 minutes at the Stadium of Light.
Information from The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.