FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come out to condemn the alleged racial abuse towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius alleged that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni referred to him as a monkey as the two teams faced off in UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
The Brazilian forward scored the lone goal to guide Real Madrid to victory but the game will be remembered for the ugly incident that saw him attempt to walk off the pitch.
The game resumed after a ten-minute pause, but Benfica and manager Jose Mourinho have since been criticised for their responses to the incident.
Infantino came out to say he was “ shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism towards Vinícius Júnior in the UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF. “
The FIFA boss further stressed that there is no roon for discrimination in football and hopes that the incident is investigated fully.
“There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account. At FIFA, through the Global Stand Against Racism and the Players’ Voice Panel, we are committed to ensuring that players, officials and fans are respected and protected, and that appropriate action is taken when incidents occur.” He stated.
Infantino also commended referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the arm gesture to stop the game and address the situation.
Prestianni has since denied the elegations and his coach Mourinho has equally voiced the same sentiments, indicating such a thing cannot happen at Benfica.
Vinicius is not new to racial abuse in recent times. The Brazilian player has been involved in over 20 cases.