"Tuesday's Champions League play-off round clash between Real Madrid and Benfica was overshadowed by the alleged racist abuse of match-winner Vinicius Junior by Gianluca Prestianni. Real Madrid came away from the first leg in Estadio da Luz as 1-0 winners thanks to the Brazilian's goal, but UEFA's anti-racist protocol was set in action immediately after the celebrations. Argentinian winger Prestianni had covered his shirt with his mouth, before muttering something to Vinicius, who alerted the referee to the alleged abuse."
"Unfortunately, precedent is abundant. At the 2025 Club World Cup, Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger alerted the referee to alleged abuse from Pachuca captain Gustavo Cabral in their 3-1 group stage win, activating FIFA's racism protocol. That aligns with UEFA's protocol, declaring a match must first be stopped, then suspended, then abandoned, depending on the severity and persistence of the abuse. No further action was taken by FIFA on that occasion, as Cabral insisted he had only called Rudiger a coward'."
Real Madrid won the Champions League play-off first leg at Benfica 1-0 with Vinicius Junior scoring the decisive goal. After the goal, Argentinian winger Gianluca Prestianni covered his shirt with his mouth and muttered something to Vinicius, who alerted the referee and activated UEFA's anti-racist protocol. UEFA's protocol requires a match to be stopped, then suspended, then abandoned if abuse persists or is severe. A 2025 Club World Cup incident saw a similar protocol activation with no further action after the accused denied racist intent. Vinicius has faced multiple prior abuse incidents and outcomes often depend on conflicting accounts.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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