In the first leg of the Champions League play-off this week, Real Madrid defeated Benfica 1-0 away, but the match was overshadowed by a serious racist incident.

In the 52nd minute, referee François Letexier, after receiving a complaint from Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr., crossed his arms as a warning and initiated an anti-racism procedure, forcing the match to be interrupted for 8 minutes.

According to on-site reports, the conflict stemmed from Vinicius Junior being verbally abused by Benfica's number 25 player, Prestianni, after celebrating his goal. Vinicius Junior immediately reported the incident to the referee, becoming extremely agitated and even stating that he did not wish to continue the match.

After the match, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé confirmed the egregious act in an interview and provided key testimony. "This wasn't just a normal tense atmosphere on the field," Mbappé said angrily. "That Benfica player lifted his shirt and called Vinicius 'monkey' five times. I heard it, and the Benfica players heard it too."

“If we allow this to happen, all the values of football will be meaningless. We must take action and not leave Vinicius to face this alone.”

Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa also took a firm stance in the post-match press conference, reiterating the team's zero-tolerance policy. He stated, "Obviously, I believe Vinicius's words. This kind of thing is unacceptable on the football field in 2026."

“I only asked Vinicius if he wanted to continue playing, and whatever decision he made, we supported him. We are a team, we live and die together. Any attack against one of our members, we will fight back side by side.”

The incident has drawn widespread attention in the football world. Although Benfica manager Mourinho tried to calm things down on the sidelines, Real Madrid has made it clear that they have demanded a thorough investigation.

Image source: Internet