It happened once again. FIFA even created the protocol, but it was no use, Real Madrid striker Vini Jr. was once again the target of racist attacks in the Champions League. It all started 5 minutes into the second half of the game against Benfica, which ended 1-0 for the Madrid team after a great goal from the Brazilian.
At the time of the celebration, Vini danced on the flag, provoked the fans and received a yellow card. Enter the figure of Argentine midfielder Prestiane. The Portuguese team player covers his mouth with his shirt and addresses the Brazilian who hears the word mono, meaning monkey, and immediately runs to inform the referee.
The anti-racism protocol was activated, the game was stopped for 10 minutes and the match continued normally. Vini was booed and cursed around the stadium, in addition to being provoked by players from the Portuguese team. In the stands, fans were seen imitating monkeys.
After these shameful scenes, the positions came, starting with Prestiani. On social media, he wrote: “At no point did he direct racist insults against the player Vinícius Júnior, who, unfortunately, misinterpreted what he thought he had heard. I have never been racist towards anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
Benfica’s official account on social media made this post in which it said that “Real Madrid players could not have heard what they were saying they heard” and also completed defending Prestiane by declaring that the team is with the player accused of racism.
The only player to come to Vini Jr.’s defense was Frenchman Kylian Mbappé. He witnessed the episode against Vini and reported the sequence of racist attacks.
“A lot of things happened (on the field), it is necessary to speak calmly because people need to understand what happened. Vini scored a goal, started dancing, and people got angry. This is normal in football, it happens and will happen again. Then there was a little tension between the Benfica team and Real Madrid, and this can happen, it’s the Champions League”, said the Frenchman.
He continued the story. “Then, number 25 (Prestianni), I don’t want to say his name because he doesn’t deserve it, started saying unacceptable words. And then he put his face inside his shirt so that the cameras wouldn’t capture what he was saying and said five times that Vini is a ‘monkey’. Me, Vini and many Real Madrid players lost control”, he declared.
The Brazilian has already suffered more than 20 racist insults in Europe. In an interview with Tarde Band News, with Paula Valdez, Marcelo Carvalho, director of the Observatory of Racial Discrimination in Football, criticized the reversal of roles and cases of racism in sport.
“When the player is substituted, he is applauded, that is, the victim is almost alone at that moment in the game. This is something we need to change in football. We cannot treat those who report racism as the villain. People need to understand that whoever commits racism is the villain and needs to be punished. He is the aggressor.
Whoever denounces racism, whoever talks about racism and exposes their pain, needs to be welcomed and not the other way around.”
ANTI-RACISM PROTOCOL
FIFA’s anti-racist protocol was implemented in 2024 and has three stages. Firstly, the referee receives the players’ complaints and decides whether or not to stop the match.
At this stage, the stadium screens send a message warning that the match may be suspended if the problems do not cease.
If the attacks persist, the referee may cancel the game. Arbitrators have the power to analyze the situation before making a definitive decision. Everything is recorded in the summary
For Marcelo Carvalho, FIFA’s measures are not enough: “When racism is practiced by fans, with racist chants, for example, the referee stops the game and warns that the game will be interrupted until the chants stop.
But he will interrupt the game twice more, that is, he gives these people three opportunities to use football to utter insults, Nazi and fascist theories. We need to change this. I think the protocol cannot have three steps, it can have a maximum of two. Therefore, the protocol needs to be rethought to provide more support to the victim.”
REACTION IN THE WORLD
In Spain, the repercussion came in specialized newspapers. Marca had the headline: “Vinícius, Executioner and victim”. Diário As followed the same line: “great goal and embarrassment”. In Portugal, Record made a play on words with the term poisonado and wrote “envininado”, citing the goal and the accusation.
REACTION IN BRAZIL
The CBF supported Vinícius Júnior on social media, posting that the player was the victim of yet another act of racism. “Racism is a crime, it is unacceptable, it cannot exist in football or anywhere. Vini, you are not alone. Your attitude in activating the protocol is an example of courage and dignity. We are proud of you.”
Flamengo also supported the athlete: “What Vini Júnior lives is not just about football. There’s a boy there who dreamed, who fought, who overcame a lot to be where he is and it hurts to see someone being attacked simply for being who they are. Racism is not part of the game, it hurts and cannot be normalized”, wrote the red-black man from Rio.
Finally, Vini himself took a stand and called the racists cowards: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are. But, on the other hand, they have protection from others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish. Nothing that happened today is new in my life and that of my family.”
