Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold slammed alleged racist abuse of Vinicius Junior as “disgusting” after a Champions League match halted by the incident.
LISBON: Trent Alexander-Arnold condemned “disgusting” alleged racist abuse directed at his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior. The incident overshadowed a crucial 1-0 Champions League play-off first leg victory over Benfica on Tuesday.
The match was halted for over 10 minutes after Vinicius accused Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him. Alexander-Arnold said the episode was a disgrace that ruined the night for his team.
Real forward Kylian Mbappe called for Prestianni to be banned from the competition. The France captain stated that a player behaving in such a manner does not deserve to play in the Champions League.
The controversy erupted after Vinicius scored the game’s only goal in the 50th minute. His celebratory provocation of the home crowd in Lisbon angered Benfica fans and some players.
Vinicius told referee Francois Letexier that Prestianni had called him “mono”, the Spanish word for monkey. Teammate Aurelien Tchouameni later confirmed Vinicius’s claim about the alleged slur.
Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said Prestianni denied the accusation. Mourinho criticised Vinicius for inciting the crowd with his celebration and suggested the Brazilian is frequently involved in such incidents.
Real captain Federico Valverde expressed pride in how Vinicius handled the situation. He noted that teammates nearby heard Prestianni say “something ugly” that he should not have said.
Valverde added that covering one’s mouth to speak, as Prestianni did, suggests the words were not good. He praised Vinicius for playing a spectacular game despite the provocation.
The 25-year-old Vinicius has been repeatedly targeted by racist abuse during his career in Spain. This includes a 2023 incident at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium and a hate crime conviction related to a dummy hung from a bridge.
Valverde reflected on whether the team should have left the pitch but acknowledged football as a spectacle might not appreciate that response. The match resumed after the lengthy delay due to the racism protocol.
The incident also sparked clashes between the benches, resulting in a red card for a Real staff member. Some Benfica fans threw projectiles at celebrating Real players following Vinicius’s decisive goal.
The Sun Malaysia
