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By Goli Innocent
Trent Alexander-Arnold has condemned as “disgusting” the alleged racist abuse directed at his Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius during their 1-0 UEFA Champions League play-off first-leg victory over SL Benfica on Tuesday night.
The match at the Estádio da Luz was temporarily halted after the Brazilian forward accused Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of making a racist remark. The incident occurred shortly after he scored the decisive goal in the 50th minute and celebrated in front of the home supporters.
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Speaking after the match, Alexander-Arnold said the episode had overshadowed what should have been a positive night for Madrid. He described the alleged abuse as a disgrace to football and called for stronger action against racism in the game.
Madrid players said Vinicius informed the referee he had been called “mono” Spanish for monkey prompting a delay of more than 10 minutes as officials followed UEFA protocol. Benfica’s camp denied the allegation, insisting the player accused of the remark rejected the claim.
The game eventually resumed, with Madrid holding on for a narrow but important away win. However, the controversy as expected has dominate post-match discussions as football authorities assess the incident.
