Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has condemned the alleged racist abuse of teammate Vinicius Junior during their Champions League match against Benfica, calling the incident a “disgrace to football,” while opposition coach Jose Mourinho faced criticism for his reaction.
The match was halted for around 10 minutes after Vinicius reported alleged racist abuse by Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to referee Francois Letexier. Vinicius and his teammates temporarily left the pitch following the complaint.
The Brazilian forward, who has previously spoken out against repeated racist abuse during his career, later posted on social media saying racists are “cowards above all.”
Benfica coach Mourinho claimed Vinicius had not celebrated his goal “in a respectful way” shortly before the incident at the Estadio da Luz, where Real Madrid secured a 1-0 win in the first leg.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium,” Mourinho said, adding that incidents seem to occur wherever Vinicius plays.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf criticised Mourinho’s remarks, saying they risked justifying racial abuse. He stressed that racism can never be excused under any circumstances.
Speaking after the match, Alexander-Arnold strongly denounced the abuse, saying it overshadowed an outstanding performance and goal. “There is no place for this in football or in society,” he said, describing the incident as “disgusting.”
Mourinho later said he had been told different versions of events by Vinicius and Prestianni and insisted Benfica is not a racist club, pointing to club legend Eusebio as an example.
Former England forward Theo Walcott said Mourinho should not have commented publicly on the matter, calling it a poor decision.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe urged strong action, saying Prestianni should not be allowed to continue playing in the Champions League if the allegations are proven. He called on UEFA Champions League authorities to take the matter seriously.
Prestianni has yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
With the second leg set to be played in Madrid next week, Walcott and other former players called for swift action by UEFA, stressing that incidents of racism must be addressed immediately to protect players and the integrity of the game.
With inputs from BBC