Vinicius Junior slams ‘cowards' after racism storm mars Real Madrid win over Benfica

The Brazilian forward, who scored the match-winning goal, labelled racists "cowards" in a strongly worded social media post after claiming Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni directed a racist remark at him during the match.

"Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to show how weak they are," Vinicius wrote, referencing the moment he claimed Prestianni covered his mouth while speaking to him. He also criticised the match response, suggesting the anti-racism protocol failed to produce meaningful action.

The controversy erupted shortly after Vinicius produced a brilliant strike early in the second half to give Madrid the lead. His celebration in front of the home supporters angered sections of the Benfica crowd and resulted in him receiving a yellow card.

Moments later, tensions escalated when Prestianni confronted the Brazilian. Vinicius quickly approached referee Francois Letexier to report the alleged abuse, prompting the official to activate football's anti-racism protocol. The match was suspended for more than 10 minutes while players and staff held discussions on the pitch before play eventually resumed.

Despite the disruption, Madrid remained composed to secure a narrow advantage heading into the second leg.

Prestianni, 20, denied the allegations, posting on social media: "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard. I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players."

Benfica also shared footage of the incident, insisting that the distance made it unlikely Real players could have clearly heard the exchange.

Benfica supported their player, releasing footage of the altercation and arguing that the distance between players made it unlikely that Madrid's squad could have clearly heard what was alleged.

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