Benfica fully supports the player accused of racism against Vinicius

Following Gianluca Prestianni’s rejection of the racism claims brought by Vinicius and several Real Madrid teammates, Benfica publicly backed the midfielder.

Benfica openly showed support for Gianluca Prestianni, who was accused by Vinicius and some Real Madrid players of racist behavior after a tense first-leg play-off match for a spot in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League round of 16.

Immediately after Prestianni responded to the accusations, Benfica reposted his message on the club’s official X account with a brief four-word statement to confirm their full support for the midfielder.

“Juntos, ao teu lado (Together, by your side),” the club wrote on X. Furthermore, the Portuguese club also shared a video to prove Prestianni’s innocence.

“From the footage, given the distance, Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard,” Benfica’s account on X stated when sharing the video.

Como demonstram as imagens, dada a distância, os jogadores do Real Madrid não podem ter ouvido o que andam a dizer que ouviram. pic.twitter.com/7JF9AVuhEM

— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) February 18, 2026

Benfica’s support for Prestianni aligns with Jose Mourinho’s comments regarding Vinicius’s accusations. The Portuguese coach fully defended his club while questioning the Brazilian player’s goal celebration, though he stated he did not take sides.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid has taken a firm stance. Aurelien Tchouameni revealed that the racist term Prestianni allegedly used against Vinicius was “m*onkey”, and Kylian Mbappe also said he heard that word.

Vinicius left the field and the match was temporarily halted to handle the racist incident. However, since Prestianni covered his mouth with his jersey, cameras could not clearly determine what he said. Nonetheless, Mbappe was recorded showing extreme anger towards the Argentine player, shouting “you are a f—ing racist” directly at Prestianni on the pitch.

The French star’s fury did not subside after the match ended. Mbappe even called for Prestianni to be banned from the Champions League. Now, it remains to be seen what conclusion UEFA will reach regarding this controversial incident, as an investigation is expected due to differing viewpoints.