In response to the serious racial discrimination incident that Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr. suffered in Lisbon, head coach Álvaro Arbeloa made an extremely strong statement at the pre-match press conference.

Arbeloa not only expressed the team's unwavering support for Vinicius and vehemently refuted the "victim-blaming" rhetoric, but also publicly called on UEFA to take substantive punitive measures.

Arbeloa has firmly responded to recent controversial comments from figures including José Mourinho regarding Vinicius's celebration. He emphasized, "Vinicius scored a brilliant goal, and his celebration has been done hundreds and thousands of times throughout football history."

“We must never portray the victim as a provocateur. His actions on the field can never be used as an excuse for racism.”

Arbeloa revealed that Vinicius's decision to return to the field on the night he experienced discrimination was a courageous one. He stated frankly that if Vinicius had chosen to boycott the match, the entire team would have followed him and left the field without hesitation.

Furthermore, Arbeloa pointed out that racism has no place in sports or society. He placed the core responsibility for stopping such incidents on UEFA, urging them to seize this opportunity to prove that anti-racism is not just an empty slogan.

Arbeloa admitted that he could not fully empathize with Vinicius's pain: "We all get insulted on the field, but I have never been insulted because of my skin color. I don't even know if I could bear what he went through."

“This is not the first time, and we sincerely hope it is the last. The entire Real Madrid team will always stand by his side, unwavering in protecting and supporting him.”

Image source: Internet