Nóng: FIFA in turmoil, will change rules because of Vinicius?

Following racial abuse allegations against Vinicius Jr, FIFA is considering implementing a rule that forbids players from covering their mouths while talking to prevent uncontrollable hate speech.

The first leg of the Champions League play-off between Real Madrid and Benfica ended with a victory for the Spanish Royal Club, but its aftermath became a shocking scandal. Vinicius Jr, who scored the only goal, immediately reported racist remarks from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni to the referee.

The situation escalated when Kylian Mbappe also came forward as a witness. The French striker claimed that he overheard Prestianni using deeply offensive language against his teammate.

Notably, Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt while doing this, preventing the stadium cameras from capturing his lip movements. The incident caused a 10-minute halt in the match to activate UEFA’s anti-racism protocol.

This event sparked a major debate about players frequently covering their mouths during on-field conversations. Mikael Silvestre — former Man Utd defender and current member of FIFA’s Player Voice Council — revealed that the world’s top football authority is considering sanctions against this behavior.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Silvestre stated: "Our WhatsApp group is very active, and we are trying to find ways to penalize players who speak thoughtlessly. Discussing tactics or casual chatting is one thing, but clearly, there is hatred among players".

He emphasized the need for a new rule: "Perhaps we need to punish such actions — whether it’s covering the mouth with a hand or with a shirt as he did. We need to talk with referees about what they are allowed and not allowed to do. This process is ongoing".

If this rule is adopted, it will clarify all on-field conversations and prevent players from "hiding" behind their hands to utter insults.

Benfica, for their part, has denied all accusations and claimed that Prestianni is a victim of a "smear campaign". They even controversially stated that "Real Madrid players could not hear what they claimed to have heard". Currently, Prestianni has disabled comments on his personal social media to avoid criticism.

However, according to UEFA’s disciplinary Article 14, if found guilty, Prestianni could face up to a 10-match ban — similar to the punishment Ondrej Kudela received previously. Although UEFA’s investigation may last three weeks, allowing Prestianni to play in the second leg at Bernabeu, the consequences could permanently change football’s rules worldwide.