Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé spoke out after the match between Benfica and Real Madrid. But more than the result, it was the altercation with Gianluca Prestianni that sparked post-match discussions.
Tensions rose on the pitch, leading to a heated exchange that didn’t go unnoticed. In the immediate aftermath, the two Madrid stars tried to calm the situation while acknowledging the intensity of a match played under high pressure. This moment once again illustrates the nerves and total commitment in major European encounters.
After scoring a sensational goal against Benfica, Vinícius Júnior couldn’t fully enjoy his performance. Following the match, the Brazilian winger took to Instagram to firmly denounce racist acts he claims to have suffered, stating that Gianluca Prestianni referred to him as a “monkey.”
The Madrid number 7 condemned behaviors he finds intolerable and pointed out the ineffectiveness of the protocol meant to combat racism. “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their jersey in their mouths to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others who, in theory, are supposed to punish them,” he wrote.
Clearly affected, Vinícius also lamented receiving a yellow card for his celebration, denouncing “a poorly applied protocol that served no purpose.” “Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my family’s,” he added, highlighting that these painful episodes happen too often.
Despite Madrid’s victory, the Brazilian international concluded by stating he would have preferred the news to celebrate the collective performance rather than dwell on another episode of racism. A strong stance that reignites the debate on player protection against such abuses.
Vinícius denounces an ineffective protocol, Mbappé raises his voice
Still shaken by the incidents, Vinícius Júnior regretted the ineffectiveness of the anti-racism protocol, believing it had “served no purpose” despite the seriousness of the events. This was another strong statement from the Real Madrid winger, determined not to let such behaviors slide.
In the mixed zone, Kylian Mbappé also expressed his anger. “We must set an example for all the kids who admire us; there are things we cannot accept. We shouldn’t generalize; I have Portuguese friends, they treat me very well, but when someone behaves like this, we need to speak up. People don’t know what happened, and that’s why they booed us,” he declared.
The French forward made sure to separate Benfica and its coach from the incident: “I have nothing against Benfica or its coach, who is one of the best in my opinion. Benfica is the biggest club in Portugal and one of the greatest in history.”
But Mbappé was much firmer regarding the attitude of the accused player: “We cannot accept that a player competing in the most prestigious European competition behaves like this… This guy doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore.”
He ultimately called on UEFA to take responsibility: “Let UEFA handle it, they always try to react. They have a serious case here, and I hope they take the necessary measures.”
A powerful double statement that now places the European governing body squarely in the spotlight.
Mbappé expects strong measures from UEFA
Very upset after the match against Benfica, Kylian Mbappé did not hold back his words regarding Gianluca Prestianni’s attitude. The French captain dismissed the idea of any potential apologies from the Argentine:
“Did you see his face? Apologies? We’re not idiots… I don’t claim to be perfect, but I won’t let this kind of thing slide. This player is young, how can you say such things on a football pitch?”
The Real Madrid forward also revealed that his team considered leaving the pitch: “We were about to walk off, that was the team’s decision. I don’t know what happened next and then we came back. We focused on our match, but today, the most important thing isn’t the match. There’s something bigger.”
Mbappé calls for a strong response from UEFA
After the match against Benfica, Kylian Mbappé showed unwavering determination. The captain of Les Bleus firmly dismissed the idea of an apology from Gianluca Prestianni:
“Did you see his face? An apology? We’re not idiots… I don’t claim to be perfect, but I won’t let things like this slide. This player is young, how can you say such things on a football pitch? We’ll see what happens.”
The Real Madrid forward revealed that his team even considered leaving the field: “We were about to walk off, that was the team’s decision… then we came back. We focused on our match, but today, the most important thing isn’t the match. There’s something bigger.”
Mbappé emphasized total solidarity with Vinícius Júnior: “I asked Vini what he wanted to do. Whatever he decides, we will do it together. We will never leave Vini alone.”
He concluded by broadening the discussion: “We’re in the Champions League, we won, but there’s something more important than football. We need to explain it to the young ones so they understand.”
A few hours later, on X, Mbappé reaffirmed his support with a strong message: “Dance Vini Jr, and please, never stop. They will never tell us what we should or shouldn’t do.”
Now, all eyes are on UEFA, which is expected to take action commensurate with the seriousness of the situation.
Mbappé stressed total solidarity around Vinícius Júnior: “I asked Vini what he wanted to do. Whatever he decides, we will do it together. We will never leave Vini alone. We have always supported our player.”
Before expanding the discussion: “We’re in the Champions League, we won, but there’s something more important than football. We need to explain it to the young ones so they understand.”
A few hours later, Mbappé reaffirmed his support on X with a clear message: “Dance Vini Jr, and please, never stop. They will never tell us what we should or shouldn’t do.”
A strong stance that now puts pressure on UEFA, which is expected to respond to this sensitive issue.
