Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 07:43 / Updated Wednesday, February 18, 2026 07:43
In the 50th minute of Benfica – Real MadridVinicius scored the only goal of the match. He celebrated defiantly towards the Benfica supporters, then was caught in the crosshairs by the home team's players. One of them, Gianluca Prestianni, sent him something while covering his mouth with his T-shirt.
Kylian Mbappe ia strigat lui Prestianni: „Ești un nenorocit de rasist!”
Vinicius exploded, accusing himself of being racially offended, and went to the referee, who stopped the game. The match was resumed about 10 minutes later.
On the pitch, one of the players who held Prestianni to account was Kylian Mbappe. Movistar+ cameras captured the Frenchman shouting at Prestianni: “You're a bloody racist!”.
Mbappe continued his tirade in post-match interviews.
“We cannot accept that a player from the main European competition behaves like this. This guy doesn't deserve to play in the Champions League anymore.
We must set an example for the children who are watching us from home. What happened today is the kind of thing that is unacceptable, because everyone is watching us,” thundered Mbappe, quoted by Reuters.
He also spoke on the subject Aurelien Tchouameni. The French midfielder revealed what Vinicius told them, that the Argentine would have called him a “monkey”, but also Prestianni's version, which claims that he would have told them they were poponari.
“This can't happen. Vini told us that the guy called him a 'monkey' when he covered his mouth with his T-shirt, he [a susținut] that he didn't say anything, or that he said… I don't know, “people”, but it doesn't matter. Vini told us we have to keep playing. We will talk, something like this cannot happen”, said Tchouameni.
Prestianni: “Vinicius misinterpreted”
Substituted in the 81st minute of the match, Prestianni claims that he did not address racial insults to Vinicius:
“I want to make it clear that at no time did I say racist insults to the player Vinicius Junior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard. I have never been racist to anyone and I regret the threats I have received from Real Madrid players.”
