Flamengo coach, Filipe Luís, classified as an “isolated case” the episode on Tuesday (17) in which striker Vinicius Junior accused Argentine Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a “monkey” during the duel between Real Madrid and Benfica for the Champions League, at Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon.
Although it was the first time that the offenses came from a professional teammate, the Brazilian national team striker has in recent years lived with a series of racist attacks from fans of other clubs in Europe.
“About Vinicius, what I can say is that I’ve always been treated very well, I love Argentina, I’ve always been very happy here, very well received, always as a visitor. But I only have good words for Argentina, and an isolated case like that doesn’t influence anything I think about this country, which is so beautiful”, said the coach after Flamengo’s 1-0 defeat to Lanús in the first game of the Recopa at the La Fortaleza stadium, in Buenos Aires. The return game takes place next Thursday (26), at Maracanã.
The accusation was denied by the Argentine, who received the support of his club and coach, José Mourinho. An investigation was opened by UEFA. Kylian Mbappé endorsed Vinicius Junior and confirmed that he heard the racist insults uttered by Prestianni — the Argentine put his shirt over his mouth when he addressed the Brazilian.
According to experts, the Benfica player can be judged and punished based on the testimonies of other athletes without the need to present an audio or video confirming the infamy.
Filipe Luís added that Prestianni should not have covered his mouth during the discussion, as the case now involves the versions of each person involved.
“It’s a much more delicate topic than we think, a topic that involves many things. For me it’s simple, it [Prestianni] he covered his mouth and he shouldn’t have covered his mouth to say what he wanted to say. And that generates all this uproar and now it’s one person’s word against the other. The truth is, if he said so, he has to pay. But I repeat: it’s one person’s word against another and I’m not the one who can judge”, said the coach, with a long spell at Atlético de Madrid.
Former defender of the Belgian national team and Manchester City and now coach of Bayern Munich, Vincent Kompany came to the defense of Vinicius Junior and criticized coach José Mourinho for the stance adopted during the episode.
“You can tell it was an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him in going to the referee and carrying all that suffering on his back. At that moment, he thought it was the right thing to do,” said Kompany.
The coach also harshly criticized Mourinho, who attributed the controversy to the way Vinicius Junior celebrated his goal, dancing near the flag in front of the Benfica fans.
“There is the leader of an organization, José Mourinho, who basically attacks Vinicius Junior’s character, mentioning his type of celebration to discredit what Vinicius was doing at that moment. For me, in terms of leadership, this is a huge mistake. It’s something we shouldn’t accept”, said the four-time Premier League champion for the Citizens.
The episode in Lisbon for the Champions League adds to a series of cases of racism faced by Vinicius Junior in Europe. The striker has already been the target of racist insults in different stadiums in Spain, with recurring episodes in Spanish Championship matches.
In 2023, a case at the Mestalla stadium, against Valencia, gained international repercussion and led to the identification and punishment of fans, becoming a milestone in the debate about racism in football in the country. Since then, Vinicius began demanding tougher measures from federations and organizers, becoming one of the most active voices in the fight against racism in the sporting world.
In a statement, the CBF expressed support for Vinícius Júnior after the episode. “Vini, you are not alone. Your attitude in activating the protocol is an example of courage and dignity. We are proud of you. We will remain firm in the fight against all forms of discrimination. We are by your side. Always”, wrote the entity.
After the tense first clash, Real Madrid and Benfica will face each other again on the 25th, in Spain. Real is playing for a draw to advance to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
