Mbappe accuses Benfica player Vinicius of racist abuse five times in the Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe is outraged and demands that UEFA punish Gianluca Prestianni after witnessing his teammate Vinicius being subjected to harsh and abusive language on the pitch.
Real Madrid's victory over Benfica in the Champions League was overshadowed by a serious racism scandal. Kylian Mbappe, the star of the Spanish royal club, publicly accused Gianluca Prestianni of repeatedly insulting striker Vinicius Junior.
Details of the racist incident at Estadio da Luz
The incident occurred immediately after Vinicius scored the opening goal of the match. According to Kylian Mbappe, Benfica's number 25, Gianluca Prestianni, repeatedly used derogatory language directed at the Brazilian star. Despite attempts to conceal his actions, Prestianni's behavior did not escape the notice of the Real Madrid players.
In an exclusive interview with Movistar+, Mbappe recounted the details: "What I saw was very clear. The number 25 player told Vini five times, 'You're a monkey.' Although he cleverly used his jersey to cover his mouth, his eyes and attitude didn't lie." This is considered one of the most direct and scathing accusations of racism in Europe's most prestigious competition this season.
Real Madrid consider abandoning the match in protest.
Tensions on the Estadio da Luz pitch reached a peak at one point when Real Madrid players discussed walking off the pitch in protest against Prestianni's behavior. Kylian Mbappe revealed that he had assured Vinicius that the entire team would stand behind and support his younger teammate's decisions, including stopping playing.
However, after a quick consultation, the Real Madrid team decided to stay on the pitch. Mbappe emphasized that the final victory was the strongest response to the unsportsmanlike conduct. Nevertheless, the French superstar stated that the professional result could not mask the outrage over the persistent problem of racism in top-level football.
A strong call for punishment from Kylian Mbappe.
Not content with simply defending his teammate, Mbappe sent a strong message to the highest authority in European football. He called on UEFA to take appropriate punitive measures and argued that Prestoni did not deserve to play in the Champions League again.
Notably, Mbappe admitted that he directly called his opponent a racist on the pitch because the player showed no intention of apologizing for his behavior. This incident once again placed Vinicius Junior at the center of racist attacks and challenged UEFA's resolve to eradicate this problem from the football field.
Currently, fans are awaiting the official report from the referee and the reaction from Benfica and UEFA regarding specific penalties for Gianluca Prestoni's actions.
