Real Madrid’s Champions League match away to Benfica descended into chaos after Vinicius Jr was allegedly racially abused and hit by a water bottle – as his team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold branded the scenes a ‘disgrace to football’.
In a tinderbox evening at the Estadio de Luz, where play was halted for 10 minutes after referee Francois Letexier made a crossed arms gesture to signal reported racial abuse, Jose Mourinho and a member of his Benfica staff were also shown a red card.
Vinicius, who has since branded racists as ‘cowards’, had just scored the opening – and ultimately winning – goal of the game before being booked by referee Francois Letexier for his dancing celebration which seemingly antagonised the home crowd.
When walking back to the centre circle with his team-mates, the 25-year-old was incensed by something said allegedly to him by Argentinian Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, who held his shirt over his mouth while speaking to the Madrid star after his goal.
While Alexander-Arnold said the scenes were ‘disgusting’ post-match, Mourinho claimed Vinicius had incited his players by celebrating and that the Brazilian ‘was not just happy to score that astonishing goal’.
‘I believe (Vinicius incited the players and the crowd),’ Mourinho said in a post-match interview with Amazon Prime Video.
Real Madrid’s match against Benfica was halted after Vinicius Jr was allegedly racially abused
Argentinian Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni could be seen making a comment to Vinicius
Jose Mourinho could be seen speaking to the Brazilian Madrid winger after the alleged incident
Referee Francois Letexier made a crossed arms gesture to signal the reported racial abuse
‘The words that Prestianni exchanged with Vinicius, I want to stay independent. I don’t want to say I believe in Prestianni, I don’t believe in Vinicius, because they told me two completely different things. I want to be independent and I don’t comment about it’
‘I told (Vinicius) exactly that. I said ‘when you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back’ and when he was arguing about racism, I told him that the biggest person in the history of this club (Eusebio) was black.
‘The last thing this club is, is racist. So if, in his mind, it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.’
Asked if Prestianni denied racially abusing the Madrid star, he said: ‘Yeah. But I don’t believe in one or another, I want to be independent.’
Confronted with the fact that Vinicius had been the victim of racial abuse in the past, Mourinho then said: ‘There is something wrong because this happens in every stadium. In a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens – always.’
Former Madrid manager and Benfica boss Mourinho was seen speaking to Vinicius on the pitch, before the winger sat in the away dugout while the match was paused as members of both teams’ coaching staff and players spilled out onto the pitch.
The Madrid star has since released his own statement, in which he branded racists as being ‘above all, cowards’.
Vinicius sat on the Madrid bench after the alleged abuse while tensions spilled over in Lisbon
Mourinho was shown a red card for seemingly calling for Vinicius to be sent off for a foul
‘They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are,’ Vinicius’s statement began.
‘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’.
Kylian Mbappe was among those visibly enraged by what had happened, with the French forward having to be held back by his team-mates.
His fellow Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold branded the scenes ‘disgusting’ after the match.
‘I can’t comment too much on it because there’s probably an ongoing investigation… but I think what’s happened tonight is a disgrace to football,’ the England international said.
Vinicius was booked after seemingly antagonising the crowd when celebrating his opener
‘It’s overshadowed the performance, especially after such an amazing goal. Vini has been subjected to this a few times throughout his career and for it to happen tonight and ruin the night for us is a disgrace, a disgrace to football.
‘There’s no place for it in society. It’s disgusting.’
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney added: ‘I just think it’s so sad in this day and age that we still have to deal with this.
‘Football is a game that brings so much joy, love and passion around the world and still we get highlights like this where we’re getting players allegedly, I think you’d have to say, because you don’t know whether he’s said it or not.
‘But we’re still getting this now in football and in the world and society, and it’s so sad that all the joyous moments are overshadowed by this, in this day and age.’
Rooney also hit out at Mourinho’s post-match comments, saying: ‘Listen, he’s trying to stay independent but I think it was very unfair what he said about Vinicius in every stadium.
‘He’s said it in a way that people will make their own minds up. I think that was a little bit unfair.’
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg said after the incident on Amazon Prime Video that Vinicius was ‘not happy with what has been said’.
Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold branded the scenes as being a ‘disgrace to football’
He added: ‘The referee is following the protocol for a racial comment that has been said.
‘Once Vinicius has approached the referee the referee now has to follow the protocol and the rules that Uefa have set out when this happens.
‘As a referee, I have had this situation before when players have reported a racial comment on the field of play. All he can do is make the report. Afterwards, then Uefa will look into this. As a referee it is very difficult in this situation.’
Alan Shearer, on commentary, added: ‘We don’t know what’s been said to him. We can see Jose Mourinho down there and he’s gone speaking to Real Madrid staff and Vini Jr himself to calm him down.
‘It’s such a shame, isn’t it? We should be talking about an excellent piece of skill and how he produced a piece of magic which this game needed.
‘Calm heads are needed because you can hear the crowd going after the players – as tough as that may be.’
Shortly after play resumed – to the sound of whistles and jeers from the crowd – Mourinho was sent off for seemingly calling for Vinicius to be shown a second yellow for a foul on Richard Rios.
One of the Benfica coaches were also shown red during the period play was halted, though it is unclear what for.
Vinicius danced at the corner flag after scoring the opening – and winning – goal of the game
And deep into the 12 minutes of stoppage time, the chaos continued in Lisbon as play was briefly halted again by the referee after missiles were repeatedly thrown onto the pitch.
Standing over a corner shortly before the final whistle, a bottle was then thrown from the crowd before it crashed of Vinicius’s arm.
The Brazilian Football Federation has also released a statement condemning ‘yet another act of racism’ Vinicius has received.
‘Racism is a crime. It is unacceptable. It cannot exist in football or anywhere else,’ they said.
‘Vini, you are not alone. Your decision to activate the protocol is an example of courage and dignity.
‘We are proud of you. ‘We will remain steadfast in the fight against all forms of discrimination. We stand by your side. Always’.
It is unclear what was said to the Madrid star in Portugal but he has been the victim of racial insults in the past.
On one occasion, three Valencia fans were given prison sentences for abusing him after an incident during a LaLiga match in May 2023 which left him in tears.
Mourinho said Prestianni denied racially abusing the 25-year-old in his post-match interview
The supporters were each jailed for eight months and banned from attending football matches for two years in what were the first criminal convictions for racially abusing a footballer in Spain.
Responding to the convictions at the time, the Brazilian said: ‘Many asked me to ignore it, many others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just ‘play football’. But, as I’ve always said, I’m not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists.
‘This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It’s for all black people. May other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I’ll be here to collect.
‘Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction. More to come…’
