The match between Real Madrid and Benfica within the Champions League was interrupted for a number of minutes after Vinícius Júnior accused an opponent of racially insulting him.
French referee François Letexier stopped the match within the 52nd minute, simply after Vinícius had given Madrid a 1-0 lead that ended up being sufficient for victory.
Benfica gamers weren’t pleased with Vinícius as a result of he celebrated by dancing in entrance of the nook flag, and a few went to confront him, together with Gianluca Prestianni.
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Vinicius Junior speaks to the referee. Getty
Prestianni was complaining to Vinicius whereas protecting his mouth together with his jersey, after which the Brazil ahead out of the blue pointed to him and ran towards the referee.
Cameras picked up Vinícius telling Letexier that Prestianni referred to as him “monkey.”
The referee stopped the match and Vinícius, who’s black, went to the sideline.
Each coaches, Benfica’s José Mourinho and Madrid’s Álvaro Arbeloa, talked to Vinícius at one level whereas play was stopped.
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The referee appeared to point out that he didn’t hear something and gestured that Prestianni had the shirt over his mouth. Letexier pulled Prestianni apart and talked to him.
The Argentine participant was not proven a yellow card and continued taking part in. Vinícius had been proven a yellow card after the celebration. The sport restarted within the sixtieth.
Later within the match, Mourinho was despatched off after a sideline outburst as his facet struggled to equalise with the Spanish giants.
After the match, Vinícius posted a photograph on Instagram of him celebrating by the Benfica nook flag with a clearly pointed message.
“Racists are, above all, cowards,” he wrote.
“They should cowl their mouths with their shirts to point out how they’re weak. Nothing that occurred at the moment is new to me in my life and in my household’s life.
“I used to be proven a yellow card for celebrating a objective. I nonetheless do not know why.”
When the grievance was first made, the referee instantly stopped the match and crossed his arms above his head to begin the anti-racism protocol.
Vinícius, who has been repeatedly subjected to racist abuse in Spain, went to the sideline and sat within the dugout whereas play was stopped.
Mbappé and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni mentioned the staff thought of leaving the sector however ultimately determined to proceed taking part in.
Mbappé mentioned he requested Vinícius to see what he needed to do.
“What’s occurred tonight is a shame to soccer,” Trent Alexander-Arnold mentioned.
“It is overshadowed the efficiency, particularly after such a tremendous objective. Vini has been subjected to this a couple of occasions all through his profession, and for it to occur tonight and spoil the night time for us as a staff is a shame.
“There is not any place for it in soccer or society. It is disgusting.”
Vinicius Junior is handed a yellow card. DeFodi Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Mourinho mentioned he didn’t need to say he believed one participant over the opposite after speaking to each, however criticised Vinícius for celebrating close to the followers.
“Sadly he was not simply joyful to attain that astonishing objective,” Mourinho instructed Amazon Prime. “If you rating a objective like that, you have a good time in a respectful approach.”
Mourinho mentioned he instructed Vinícius that the best participant in Benfica’s historical past — Eusébio — was black, however appeared to query why the Actual Madrid participant is so incessantly focused.
“There’s something incorrect as a result of it occurs in each stadium,” Mourinho mentioned.
“The stadium the place Vinicius performed one thing occurred. At all times.”
