UEFA has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector after allegations a racist slur was directed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during last night’s Champions League match against Benfica. The match, in Lisbon, Portugal, was halted five minutes into the second half, shortly after Vinicius gave the away side a 1-0 lead in the first leg of the knockout playoffs.
Cameras picked up the 25-year-old telling French referee Francois Letexier he had been targeted in a comment made to him by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.Prestianni has denied making a racist slur, claiming the Madrid player “misinterpreted what he thought he heard”.In a statement, UEFA said: “A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 knock-out play-off between Club Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026.
“Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.”This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
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