Why Benfica vs Real Madrid Was Halted: Vinicius Jr at Centre of Drama
- Benfica’s Champions League first-leg encounter with Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz was briefly halted following a disturbing incident
- Vinicius Junior allegedly suffered racial abuse from a Benfica player after giving Madrid the lead
- The racial incident prompted referee Francois Letexier to activate UEFA’s anti-racism protocol once the complaint was made
Vinicius Junior dominated headlines during Real Madrid's 1-0 win against Benfica on February 17, but not only for his football.
The Real Madrid forward fired his side ahead in the playoff first leg against the Portuguese giants with a brilliant strike from the left side of the box shortly after recess.
His finish silenced the Estadio da Luz crowd, underlining his influence on big European nights. However, there was a twist to the Vinicius tale.
Source: Getty Images
Why Benfica vs Madrid was halted
Moments later, Vini found himself booked by referee François Letexier for celebrating near the corner flag with a slightly over-the-top dance move, which appeared to anger the home side. What followed, however, overshadowed the goal.
The 25-year-old approached the officials to report racial abuse. He allegedly identified Gianluca Prestianni as responsible.
Visibly upset, Vinicius, who disclosed he plays a lot of ,virtual games during his downtime, briefly walked toward the touchline before manager Jose Mourinho intervened to calm him.
Watch the incident:
Play stopped for around seven minutes as UEFA’s anti-racism procedure was activated.
According to BBC Sport, European football’s governing body introduced a three-step framework in 2009 to confront discrimination inside stadiums.
First, the referee halts the match, and an announcement is made urging supporters to cease offensive behaviour.
If misconduct continues, players are taken off the pitch for five to 10 minutes while a second warning is delivered.
Should abuse persist after the restart, the official has the authority to abandon the fixture. Any decision is followed by a security review and disciplinary action.
Play eventually resumed, but the earlier controversy had taken the edge off the occasion, with Madrid grinding out a 1-0 victory to carry a slender advantage into the second leg of the playoff tie.
Source: Getty Images
Vinicius' battle with racism
For Vinicius, the distressing episode felt painfully familiar. He endured similar treatment during a league meeting with Valencia in Spain, which led to sanctions against offenders, as cited by The Guardian.
Just last year, a Real Sociedad fan was caught on camera making racist gestures at Vinicius.
Support quickly poured in online to support Real Madrid's No.7. YEN.com.gh has compiled some reactions from X:
@GRIZZLYRMCF wrote:
"DISGUSTING people."
@tackle_on added:
"Not a good look for the game . Racism towards anyone is wrong its worse coming from a football player."
@bymyname83 posted:
"This is embarrassing for football Racism in this day and age."
@lukesousa13 concluded:
"Imagine being racist towards a black player, when there are black players at Benfica? They are just mad."
Watch Prestianni's performance vs Madrid:
Ironically, Prestianni received applause from sections of the home crowd when substituted late on, a moment that further stirred debate.
Once again, a dazzling performance was eclipsed by an issue the sport continues to battle.
How cat predicted Madrid's win over Benfica
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a well-known feline oracle stirred debate before the UEFA Champions League clash between Benfica and Real Madrid.
The cat, Nimbus Pronos, predicted that the Spanish giants would win the first leg of the playoff tie.
Source: YEN.com.gh
