The Digest:
Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr has accused Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racial slur at him during Tuesday's Champions League clash, issuing a statement branding racists "cowards." The game was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius reported the abuse to referee Francois Letexier, who activated FIFA's anti-racism protocol. In an Instagram statement, Vinicius wrote: "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are." Teammate Kylian Mbappe called for Prestianni to receive a lifetime Champions League ban, stating: "Prestianni clearly called Vini Jr a monkey, it happened five times. I saw that. This is not acceptable... Prestianni should never play in the Champions League anymore." Prestianni denied the allegations, claiming Vinicius "misunderstood what he thought he heard." The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and Real Madrid players condemned the incident, with Trent Alexander-Arnold calling it "a disgrace to football."
Key Points:
- Vinicius's powerful statement and Mbappe's call for a lifetime ban escalate the response to alleged racism.
- The incident tests UEFA's resolve to impose meaningful sanctions beyond temporary match stoppages.
- Vinicius receives global support, while Prestianni faces potential career-defining consequences.
- This signals that players are demanding stronger action than current protocols provide.
- The timing, with the return leg next week, keeps pressure on UEFA to act decisively.
Sources: GOAL, UEFA, Vinicius Jr/Instagram, CBF
