Real Madrid CF has said it has submitted all available evidence to UEFA as the organisation investigates allegations of racism involving forward Vinícius Júnior. The Brazil international said he reported racial abuse by a Benfica player to referee Francois Letexier during Tuesday’s Champions League knockout round play-off match in Lisbon. Real Madrid later identified the player accused as Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni.
UEFA confirmed on Wednesday, February 19, that it had opened a disciplinary investigation into the incident. Following this, Real Madrid released a statement confirming its full cooperation with the process.In the statement, the club said it had provided UEFA with all evidence relating to the incidents that occurred during the February 17 Champions League fixture against SL Benfica. The club described the alleged episodes as unacceptable and reiterated its commitment to combating racism in football and society.
Real Madrid also expressed appreciation for the widespread support shown to Vinícius Júnior by the global football community, adding that it would continue to work with relevant institutions to eliminate racism, violence and hatred from the sport. The match was temporarily halted in line with UEFA procedures after Vinícius raised the allegation shortly after celebrating a goal. Play was paused for about 10 minutes before resuming, and the forward went on to complete the match.
After the game, Vinícius shared a message on Instagram in Portuguese, describing racists as cowards and criticising what he said was a poorly executed protocol. He also questioned why he was booked for celebrating his goal, adding that such experiences were not new to him or his family. Prestianni denied making any racist remarks in a post on Instagram, while Benfica condemned what it called a smear campaign against their player.
Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho also came under criticism from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, which described his post-match comments as gaslighting. Speaking to Amazon Prime, Mourinho said he did not want to take sides, adding that controversial incidents seemed to occur frequently in matches involving Vinícius.UEFA’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Source: https://m.lindaikejisblog.com/
