Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior accused Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him during the Champions League knockout tie in Lisbon, prompting a stoppage of more than ten minutes after Vinicius complained to referee Francois Letexier. Vinicius said Prestianni called him 'mono', the Spanish word for monkey; Prestianni denies the allegation and covered his mouth during the exchange. UEFA confirmed it will investigate discriminatory behaviour. Team members reacted strongly: Trent Alexander-Arnold condemned the actions, Kylian Mbappe demanded a ban, while Benfica coach Jose Mourinho criticised Vinicius' celebration; Kick It Out criticised Mourinho's response.
"It's disgusting. What's happened tonight is a disgrace for football. It's ruined the night for the team, he said."
"We cannot accept there's a player playing in Europe's best competition and behaving like this, the France captain told reporters. This guy doesn't deserve to play in the Champions League again."
"When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way, said the Portuguese."
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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