Vinícius shines as Madrid win — but racism steals the headlines. скачать в хорошем качестве

Vinícius shines as Madrid win — but racism steals the headlines.

Vinícius Júnior Racism Allegation Overshadows Real Madrid’s 1–0 Win at Benfica Real Madrid secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League playoff at the Estádio da Luz, but the result was overshadowed by an alleged racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior that led to a 10-minute delay and briefly threatened the continuation of the match. The Brazilian forward put Madrid ahead early in the second half with a superb individual strike, cutting inside from the left before curling an unstoppable effort into the far top corner. However, his goal celebration — which included dancing near the corner flag — was followed by confrontations with Benfica players. During the exchanges, Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni appeared to say something while covering his mouth, prompting Vinícius to immediately alert referee François Letexier. The official halted play and signalled the activation of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. Broadcast footage suggested that the alleged insult reported by Vinícius included the word “mono” (monkey), though Prestianni has firmly denied making any racist remark. Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa declined to speculate after the match but backed his player, stating he had “no reason not to believe” Vinícius. The winger later posted on social media that “racists are cowards who hide behind their hands,” while Kylian Mbappé claimed the alleged slur had been repeated several times. Benfica manager José Mourinho confirmed he spoke to both players after the incident but offered no definitive conclusion, while also questioning the nature of Vinícius’ celebration. Tensions remained high across the pitch, with Vinícius booked, heated exchanges breaking out between players, and Mourinho himself later dismissed from the touchline for protesting. Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde strongly condemned the situation, calling the alleged insult “very serious,” while Trent Alexander-Arnold described the episode as “a disgrace.” Before the controversy, the match had been fiercely competitive. Benfica started brightly, with Rafa Silva nearly through early on and Leandro Barreiro driving runs from midfield causing problems. Thibaut Courtois produced an excellent save to deny Fredrik Aursnes as the hosts pushed for an opener. Madrid gradually imposed themselves and finished the first half strongly. Mbappé went close twice in quick succession, first firing over after neat build-up play involving Vinícius, then forcing a save from Anatoliy Trubin. Vinícius also created another opening for the French forward, while Arda Güler was denied by a fine stop just before the break. The decisive moment arrived four minutes after the restart when Vinícius’ brilliant finish gave Madrid the advantage. Benfica responded with renewed urgency, Courtois saving from Andreas Schjelderup and Sidny Lopes Cabral later sending a free-kick narrowly over, but the game never fully regained its rhythm after the stoppage. Madrid ultimately held firm to take a valuable away win into the return leg, though the result was left secondary to an incident that once again highlighted the ongoing issue of racism in European football.