The Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid had to be interrupted yesterday. Benfica striker Gianluca Prestianni had apparently racially insulted Vinícius Júnior, covering his mouth with his jersey as he did so. The Real star then stormed over to referee Francois Letexier, wildly gesticulating, prompting the official to immediately halt the match. Now, both players have commented on the incident on Instagram.
"Racists are above all cowards. They have to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are. But they are protected by others who theoretically have the duty to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in the life of my team. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't understand why. On the other hand, it was simply a poorly implemented protocol that served no purpose. I don't like to be in such situations, especially not after a big victory, when the headlines should actually be about Real Madrid – but it's necessary," wrote the Brazilian on Instagram late Tuesday night.
The accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni also officially spoke out afterwards and insisted on his innocence.
"I want to make it clear that at no point did I direct racist insults at Vini Jr., who unfortunately misunderstood what he thought he heard. I have never been racist towards anyone, and I regret the threats I have received from Real Madrid players," said the 20-year-old.
However, he did not provide an explanation of what he actually said to Vinícius Júnior.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.