The incident occurred during Tuesday’s knockout phase play-off first leg at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. The match was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius informed the referee that Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni had allegedly called him a “monkey” during a confrontation.

Prestianni, who covered his mouth while arguing with Vinicius after the Brazilian celebrated a goal in front of home supporters, has denied the allegation.

UEFA Investigation

On Wednesday, UEFA confirmed it would investigate “allegations of discriminatory behaviour” following the incident. The governing body has not set a timeline for concluding its probe.

Real Madrid, in a statement on Thursday, said the match witnessed “unacceptable episodes of racism” and confirmed that the club had forwarded all evidence in its possession to UEFA.

The Spanish giants also expressed appreciation for the widespread support shown to Vinicius.

“Real Madrid appreciates the unanimous support, backing, and affection that our player Vinicius Jr. has received from all areas of the global football community,” the statement read.

Benfica Response

Benfica issued a statement backing Prestianni and described the situation as a “defamation campaign” against the player.

Head coach Jose Mourinho also questioned Vinicius’s goal celebration, which involved dancing in front of the home crowd.

Vinicius has been the target of repeated racist abuse since joining Real Madrid in 2018, prompting renewed scrutiny over discrimination in European football.

UEFA’s findings could lead to disciplinary action depending on the outcome of the investigation.