Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has said he is no stranger to racism after he was allegedly racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni during the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The incident occurred when play was about to restart after Vinicius put Real Madrid ahead in the 50th minute, when the player suddenly sprinted towards the referee while aggressively pointing at Prestianni, prompting a pause of more than 10 minutes.

After the match, several Real Madrid players and officials, including head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, Fede Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold, confirmed that Benfica winger racially abused Vinicius, with Kylian Mbappe claiming the Prestianni called the Brazil international ‘monkey’ five times.

“Prestianni clearly called Vini Jr a monkey. It happened five times. I saw that. UEFA has the best cameras, now we wait. This is not acceptable. It’s not my kind of human being,” Mbappe said.

In a statement released by Vinicius after the match, Vinicius called racists cowards while accusing the system that was supposed to punish guilty individuals of protecting them instead.

“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life,” the statement said

He added, “I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don’t like to appear in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”

Meanwhile, the Brazilian football federation has issued a statement in support of Vinicius, affirming its continued support for the player in the fight against racism.

“The CBF stands in solidarity with Vinícius Júnior, victim of yet another act of racism this Tuesday, after scoring for Real Madrid against Benfica in Lisbon. Racism is a crime. It is unacceptable. It cannot exist in football or anywhere else. Vini, you are not alone.

“Your decision to activate the protocol is an example of courage and dignity. We are proud of you. We will remain steadfast in the fight against all forms of discrimination. We stand by your side. Always,” the federation said.

Other football figures, including Wayne Rooney, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Wesley Sneijder, have voiced their support for Vinicius.