Vinicius Racism Storm: Benfica Backs Prestianni as Mbappe and Co Cry Foul

Imagine this: Vinícius Júnior slots home the opener for Real Madrid, struts his stuff in front of the Benfica fans, and boom – the Champions League clash grinds to a halt for 11 minutes. That's exactly what went down in the first leg of their knockout tie on Tuesday night. The Brazilian winger sprinted to ref Francois Letexier, claiming Gianluca Prestianni had racially abused him after getting booked for the cheeky celebration.

Uefa's three-step anti-racism protocol kicked in sharpish – announcements, yellow cards threatened, the lot. It was tense, with Kylian Mbappé looking ready to explode on the pitch. But what exactly was said? That's the million-euro question brewing ahead of next Wednesday's return leg at the Bernabéu.

The Alleged Slur and Pitch-Side Chaos

Prestianni, Benfica's young Argentine talent, was accused of muttering 'monkey' repeatedly while hiding behind his shirt. Mbappé, steaming in the mixed zone, spilled the beans to reporters: "He put his shirt over his mouth and said it five times. I heard it, some Benfica lads did too." Federico Valverde, Madrid's skipper, chipped in via Movistar: "Dozens of cameras, but he covers up? That screams guilt to me."

Not so fast, say Benfica. The Portuguese giants fired back on X (formerly Twitter), pointing out the distance made it impossible for Madrid players to hear a thing. Prestianni himself hit Instagram: "I've never been racist, Vinícius misheard me. Gutted by the threats from Madrid players." Vinícius didn't hold back: "Racists are cowards who hide behind shirts. Weak."

Benfica's Full-Backed Defence and Mourinho's Mischief

Benfica dropped a club statement faster than a counter-attack, throwing their weight fully behind Prestianni. They slammed a "defamation campaign" against him, reaffirmed their anti-racism creds – name-dropping legend Eusébio as their inclusion icon – and welcomed Uefa's probe with open arms. "Transparency and collaboration," they vowed.

Enter José Mourinho, Benfica's gaffer and eternal headline magnet. Post-match on Amazon Prime, the Special One played neutral ref: "I spoke to both, got different stories. Stay independent, me." But then he twisted the knife, moaning about Vinícius's celebration provoking the crowd and hinting these incidents happen "in every stadium he plays in." Ouch.

That sparked fury. Ex-Madrid man Clarence Seedorf called it out, while Kick It Out labelled it "gaslighting". They urged leaders like Mourinho to back victims first, not pivot to celebrations or club history. Fair play? You decide over a pint.

Uefa Inspector on the Case – Second Leg Looms

Uefa hasn't hung about, appointing an inspector to dig into the "discriminatory behaviour" claims. With HD cams everywhere (bar the mouth-covering bit), audio evidence, and witness statements flying, expect a verdict pronto. Benfica reckon images clear them; Madrid's lot swear by their ears.

Aurélien Tchouaméni backed his teammates too, as noted by FourFourTwo's Isaac Stacey Stronge. Tensions boiled over post-whistle, with Mbappé needing holding back amid scuffles. ESPN Spain's Mark Ogden highlighted how this saga overshadows Madrid's 1-0 lead.

Football's dark underbelly rears its head again, but kudos to Uefa for acting swift. Will it cool tempers for the Bernabéu redux? Or ignite a powder keg? Grab the popcorn – or better, a cold one. This tie's just warming up.

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