Vinícius Júnior has once again found himself at the centre of a racism controversy, following Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League clash against Benfica.
The Brazilian winger did not hold back his disgust after the match strongly condemning the alleged racial comments directed at him during the heated encounter. The incident occurred during a UEFA Champions League fixture between Benfica and Real Madrid, when Vinícius complained to the referee about alleged racist remarks made by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
The game was temporarily halted as part of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, drawing widespread attention across the football world. However, Vinícius took to his social media account after the game to explain what occurred during the game.
He said,
“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are. 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.”
Vinicius and Real Madrid will hope UEFA takes swift measures to ensure that everyone found guilty of the racial accusations.