Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe said Benfica's Gianluca Prestiani should be banned from the Champions League after the Argentinian was accused of making racist comments towards Vinicius Junior during the Spanish team's 1-0 playoff first leg win on Tuesday.
Prestiani denied the allegation, saying the Brazilian had misheard him.
The incident happened just after Vinicius had given Real the lead five minutes into the second half in Lisbon.
Television footage showed the Argentina winger covering his mouth with his shirt before making a comment, which Vinicius and surrounding teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old, prompting referee Francois Letexier to stop the match for 11 minutes after activating FIFA's anti-racism protocols.
The footage shows an enraged Mbappé calling Prestianni a “bloody racist” to his face.
The atmosphere turned hostile after the game resumed, with the home crowd booing loudly whenever Vinicius and Mbappé touched the ball.
“I want to make it clear that I never used racist insults to Vinnie Jr., who regrettably misunderstood what he heard,” Prestiani wrote on his Instagram account.
“I was never racist towards anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
Mbappé told reporters that he had heard Prestiani make the same racist comment several times at Vinicius, an allegation also made by Real's French midfielder Aurelien Tchoumen.
Mbappé said he was ready to leave the pitch but Vinicius convinced him to continue playing.
“Sports are no longer important tonight. This is the Champions League, the most important football competition in the world, and we cannot ignore what happened,” Mbappe told reporters.
“We have to set an example for all the children watching us at home. What happened today is something we cannot accept because the world is watching us. When someone behaves like this (like Prestiani), we have to speak out and condemn it. I have nothing against Benfica, the club, its fans or its manager. But something has to be done.
“We cannot accept that there is a player in Europe's top football competition who behaves like this. This guy is no longer fit to play in the Champions League. This is my opinion, but I don't know what they are going to do, I am not someone who makes these types of decisions. UEFA is trying to work against racism and I think they should do something about what happened here today.”
'Racists are the first to be cowards'
When asked if Prestiani had apologised, Mbappé laughed.
“no way!” Mbappé said.
Benfica manager José Mourinho said that the Argentinian denied the allegations. “Vinicius says one thing and Prestiani says another,” Mourinho told Movistar Plus.
Vinicius later posted a statement on social media expressing his disappointment.
Vinicius wrote, “Racists are, first of all, cowards. They have to cover their faces with their shirts to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others, who are theoretically obliged to punish them. What happened today is not new in my life or the life of my family.”
“I got 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 had no purpose. I don't like to be seen in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it's necessary.”
The Brazilian has faced repeated racist abuse in Spain, with 18 legal complaints filed since 2022 against racist behavior targeting Vinicius. The most recent incident was in January before a Copa del Rey tie against second-tier Albacete.