Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Friday, February 20, 2026, 12:16 / Updated Friday, February 20, 2026 12:32
Gary Lineker (65), the former FC Barcelona striker between 1986 and 1989, took a stand in favor of Vinicius and against racism in football in a speech that quickly went viral worldwide.
The former striker of the Catalans also took on Jose Mourinho, the coach of Benfica, whom he accuses of being manipulative.
CONTEXT:
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after scoring the only goal of Real Madrid's away match against Benfica, Vinicius was accused of racial slurs from an opposing player, Gianluca Prestianni, after he gloated defiantly in front of Benfica's fans.
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Mourinho “eared” Vinicius for challenging the Benfica supporters after the goal scored.
Gary Lineker: 'What happened on Tuesday night was disturbing'
The incidents in the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid (0-1), in which Vinicius was in the center of attention due to alleged racist insults, generated many reactions in the world of football, including that of Gary Lineker.
The former English footballer called Jose Mourinho a manipulator, saying:
“Jose Mourinho blamed Vinicius and that is manipulation. It is very important that not only black players take a stand. Let's remember who the victim was and stay on the right side”
Jose Mourinho and Vinicius
One is what Vinicius says, another is what Prestianni says, completely different things. I told Vinicius privately that when a player scores a goal like that, he is carried. You don't go to challenge a stadium or the heart of the opposing stadium. There is something wrong, because this happens in every stadium. In every stadium where Vinicius plays, there is always something going on. Always. This club has Eusebio as a legend – a black player. The last thing that could be said about this club is that it would be racist
– Jose Mourinho, at the end of the match against Real Madrid
Regarding Vinicius' complaint that Prestianni had called him racist insults, Lineker emphasized:
“What happened Tuesday night was disturbing. Let's remember who the victim was and stay on the right side. Racism distorts the king sport. It's more than football”, he concluded in the podcast “The Rest Is Football”, according to Marca.
Gary Lineker played for FC Barcelona between 1986 and 1989. The striker scored 51 goals in 138 games for the Catalans.
Gary Lineker during his time at Barcelona
