Vinicius Junior, victim and standard bearer against racism
The episode between the Brazilian Vinicius Junior, from Real Madrid, and the Argentine from Benfica, Gianluca Prestianni, reignited the discussion about racism in football and could become the starting point to change sports legislation in this regard.
Since last February 18, when Prestianni supposedly called Vinicius a “monkey” on several occasions, the atmosphere has been heated. But it once again places the Brazilian, without intending to, as one of the axes of the fight against racism in football.
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In June 2024, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for a “crime against moral integrity” with “aggravating discrimination for racist reasons.” The fans were identified at the time they chanted against the Brazilian, in a match that was played 13 months ago, in May 2023.
“I am not a victim of racism. I am the torment of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It is for all black people,” Vinicius said then on his X account.
However, Vinicius is not the only victim. Nearly 200 players in the Spanish league have received racist and homophobic attacks, 80 of them black and 50 Latin American.
I am not a victim of racism. I am the torment of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It’s for all black people.
Vinicius JuniorReal Madrid player
Controversy over the case of racist insults against Vinicius
Now, the incident with Prestianni took all the attention and left the game in the background, including, of course, the great goal he scored to put Real Madrid ahead in the playoff that gives access to the round of 16 of the Champions League.
This Friday, the Real Madrid coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, He once again came out in defense of his player. “Everyone saw what happened on Tuesday. We were all watching the game and what happened. That is what is really important. We cannot divert the issue and we are facing a great opportunity to take measures so that it does not happen again,” he insisted.
Alvaro Arbeloa, DT del Real Madrid Photo:AFP
Not all voices are in his favor, of course. From the moment the incident occurred, Benfica coach, the Portuguese José Mourinho, questioned Vinicius’ version, something that immediately brought him criticism.
Jose Mourinho Photo:EFE
“I am not here to talk about anyone’s reflections. Everyone is free to give their opinion and I give mine. Vinícius scored a great goal in a fantastic field and celebrated a goal as we have seen hundreds of times from footballers throughout history, regardless of their skin color. We cannot make the victim a provocateur; it is unjustifiable. Nothing that Vinícius has done justifies a racist act,” said Arbeloa.
The Bayern Munich coach, Vincent Kompany, also spoke about it. “They have the leader of an organization, José Mourinho, who basically attacks Vinícius Junior’s personality by highlighting his way of celebrating the goal. It is a way of discrediting what Vinícius is doing at that moment. For me, in terms of leadership, it is a huge mistake and it is something that we should not accept,” declared Luis Díaz’s boss.
Vincent Kompany Photo:EFE
Vinicius has been blamed for the role of provocateur, rightly so on many occasions. But the rival fans also seem to have found their weak point and, since he has played for the white club, there have already been almost 20 racist incidents against him (see chronology).
Prestianni also has a history: he participated in a fight between players from Argentina and Brazil in the 2022 Montaigu Tournament, after his team lost the final; Then, at the U-20 World Cup in Chile, he insulted a ball boy and recorded himself mocking the Colombian players, after eliminating them in the semifinals, to the rhythm of Ryan Castro’s now famous song in support of the National Team.
What sanction does Gianluca Prestianni face?
But what happened now is much more serious and could lead to a strong punishment, not only in sports, but also in judicial matters, since a state entity in Portugal, the Authority for the Prevention and Fight against Violence in Sports (APCVD), opened an investigation for sanctioning purposes.
The Argentine declared this Friday before Uefa and denied racist behavior. He acknowledged that he called him ‘faggot’, with which he could be accused of homophobic insults. Already hours after what happened, Prestianni had expressed himself on his networks. “If they say so much that, supposedly, I said a racist comment to Vinícius Junior, why didn’t anyone react? Accusing of something serious is not right and even less so when it’s not true. And everyone pointing their fingers at me because I cover myself with my shirt when they know that all the players cover up to speak. Don’t want to invent more,” he expressed.
Gianluca Prestianni argues with Vinícius. Photo:AFP
However, Frenchman Kylian Mbappé ratified Vinicius’ version. “A player like that does not deserve to play in the Champions League anymore. We hope that Uefa does things and does not say that nothing is happening,” he stressed.
What happened with Prestianni could have consequences. The first, a possible prohibition for players to avoid covering their mouths when speaking. “We are trying to find ways to sanction players who talk and cover their mouths. It’s one thing to talk about tactics with your teammates or have an informal discussion, but there was clearly hatred between the players, especially towards each other,” Frenchman Mikael Silvestre, a member of the Fifa Players Commission, told Sky Sports.
But the punishment for Prestianni could be long. The sanction that Uefa could impose on him would be up to ten games of suspension. What delays the process is the collection of evidence. The referee of the Benfica vs. match Real Madrid, François Letexier, stopped the match with the anti-racism protocol after Vinicius’ complaint, but the VAR did not find the moment in which the Argentine would have attacked him.
The investigation is ongoing. Arbeloa hopes that the case will have consequences. “The really important thing is to fight against acts like the one we experienced the other day. It is an unacceptable situation that we are not going to allow or tolerate. And everyone is going to have us in front of us. I want to be very clear, and even more so when it comes to a colleague. Nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies a racist act,” he said.
Luis Enrique Photo:AFP
Josep Guardiola, the Manchester City coach, believes that racism, beyond Vinicius, is a widespread problem. “Racism is everywhere. Do you think racism is only because of the color of your skin? The way you behave is also racism. It is the way you pretend to be superior to others for different reasons,” he declared this Friday.
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