A word from Vinicius, Real may do something crazy in the Champions League

A strong declaration from Thibaut Courtois before the Benfica game indicates Real Madrid’s willingness to make an unprecedented move in the Champions League should the sensitive incident recur.

The atmosphere before the Champions League playoff second leg on the early morning of February 26 between Real Madrid and Benfica has become tense following a suspected racial discrimination incident in the first leg. The controversy centers on accusations against Gianluca Prestianni, who is alleged to have directed offensive language towards Vinícius Júnior during the match in Lisbon last week.

According to Mirror, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a strong statement before the second leg, affirming that the entire team will stand firmly behind Vinícius. He emphasized that the final decision might even rest with the Brazilian forward: “The regulations are increasingly improving. Ultimately, Vinícius will decide whether we continue playing or not, because if he says no, we will consider leaving the pitch. At that point, UEFA officials will determine what happens with the match.”

The incident originated from the first leg at Estádio da Luz, where Vinícius scored the only goal giving Real Madrid the advantage. However, the sporting moment was quickly overshadowed when the Brazilian player reported to referee François Letexier about an alleged racist act, causing the match to be paused for over 10 minutes to handle the situation.

After launching an investigation, UEFA decided to temporarily suspend Prestianni for the second leg, although the Argentine player still traveled with the team to Madrid. Benfica immediately appealed, hoping the sanction would be lifted. Meanwhile, European media reported that the player risks a long-term suspension if found guilty.

Benfica president Rui Costa spoke out in defense of his player ahead of the trip to Spain: “We are facing this situation and cannot use Prestianni. Benfica stands united behind him, not just because he is our player. Prestianni is not a racist, but he is being treated as if he were. Therefore, he deserves full support.”

On Real Madrid’s side, coach Álvaro Arbeloa praised Vinícius’s spirit, saying his player has shown remarkable courage under great pressure: “He always shows bravery and strong character. I don’t know how others would react in this situation, but Vinícius always faces it with courage. That is always his response because he is a warrior.”

After the first leg, Vinícius also shared his views directly on social media: “Racists, above all, are cowards. They have to cover their mouths with shirts to hide their weakness. But they are protected by those who should be responsible for punishing them. What happened here is nothing new to me or my family. I got a yellow card for celebrating the goal, and I still don’t understand why.”

Meanwhile, Prestianni continues to deny all accusations and insists he has been misunderstood: “I want to clarify that I never used any racist language toward Vinícius Jr - who misunderstood what he thought he heard. I have never been racist to anyone and I regret the threats I have received from Real Madrid players.”