sports

Vinicius Accuses Benfica Player Of Racism After Madrid Goal

Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. accused Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of racism after scoring in the Champions League playoff, causing a 10-minute match delay.

After giving Real Madrid the lead against Benfica in Lisbon, Vinicius reported that Prestianni made racist comments to him during an exchange. The Brazilian winger sat down on the bench refusing to play on while the referee implemented FIFA's racism protocol, stopping the game for over 10 minutes.

Ugly scenes followed as Benfica players confronted Vinicius, with one staff member shown a red card. Later in the match, Vinicius was struck on the arm by an object thrown from the crowd, continuing a pattern of discrimination he has faced throughout his career.