Hours after beating Benfica 2-1, this Wednesday (25), at the Santiago Bernabéu, and guaranteeing a place in the round of 16 of the Champions League, Real Madrid released a statement stating that they had identified a fan who gave a Nazi salute during the match.
In the statement, in addition to repudiating the gesture, the club stated that it acted immediately after identifying the fan and removed him from the stands.
“The member was located by members of the club’s security moments after appearing on the broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabéu,” the Spanish team reported.
Real also stated that it had urgently requested the club’s Disciplinary Committee to open a process for the permanent expulsion of the fan, whose identity was not revealed.
“Real Madrid condemns these types of gestures and expressions that incite violence and hatred in sport and society”, says an excerpt from the note.
Before the start of the match, the duel in the Spanish capital was marked by protests from Madrid fans against racism, in yet another gesture of support for Vinícius Júnior. While the players were lined up on the field, a mosaic with the phrase “no to racism” was displayed in the stands.
The demonstration was another chapter in the public demonstrations of support for the Brazilian, intensified since last week, when the number 7 accused Argentine Gianluca Prestianni of having uttered racist insults in the first clash between the teams in the knockout phase of the Champions League.
After winning the first game 1-0, with a goal from the Brazilian striker, Real once again beat their rival, this time 2-1, in a comeback. Rafa Silva opened the scoring, Tchouaméni equalized in the first half, and, after the break, Vinícius Júnior scored the winning goal — repeating the celebration with dancing in front of the fans, as he had already done in the first match.
UEFA decided to preventively suspend Prestianni for a “prima facie violation”. The legal term indicates that, at first glance, the entity understands that there are signs of racism, although there is still no definitive decision. Once the steps are completed, the punishment — for now limited to one match — can be extended to at least ten suspension games.
The Argentine denies having committed any offense, a version supported by Benfica, which decided to take him to Madrid as a public gesture of support. On the eve of the reunion between the teams (25), the player normally participated in the pitch recognition training alongside his teammates. This Wednesday, however, he remained at the hotel where the Portuguese delegation is staying.
