Richard Ríos: Real fans to unveil 'Não ao racismo' mosaic before Benfica tie
richard ríos — Real Madrid supporters will unveil a mosaic reading "Não ao racismo" and "Respeito" at the Santiago Bernabéu ahead of the Champions League match with Benfica, a symbolic gesture following Vinícius Júnior's complaint of racial abuse after the first leg.
Fans plan a visible response at Santiago Bernabéu
Supporters at the Bernabéu will display the mosaic when the teams enter the field, using the messages "Não ao racismo" and "Respeito" as a direct response to the events that unfolded at the Estádio da Luz. The move follows the uproar after Vinícius Júnior's second-half golaço in the first-leg match in Lisbon and the complaint he lodged to the match official over alleged racist remarks by Benfica forward Prestianni.
Flashpoints from the first leg: goal, allegation and a 10-minute stoppage
The incident began shortly after Vinícius Júnior opened the scoring with a celebrated golaço at the Estádio da Luz, which triggered a confrontation near the corner flag and a yellow card for Vinícius. Play was later halted when Vinícius made the complaint about comments by Prestianni; referee François Letexier immediately activated the UEFA antiracism protocol and the match was paused for about 10 minutes while teammates and staff tended to the player. Mbappé and Tchouaméni stood with Vinícius during the stoppage, and the game resumed with Vinícius booed and jeered at subsequent touches.
Suspension, denials and reactions on the field
UEFA later provisionally suspended Prestianni following the allegation. Prestianni has denied the charge; teammates and opponents offered conflicting accounts, with Mbappé saying he heard repeated slurs and others saying different words were used. The on-field fallout continued after the restart, but the match finished and attention has now turned to the return leg at the Bernabéu, where Real supporters plan their stand-alone message against racism.
Referee background and the match scoreboard
The return match in Madrid that follows the first leg also comes after other headline items surrounding match officials: the referee appointed for the tie, Slavko Vincic, was previously detained in a 2020 police operation in Bosnia and later said he had attended a gathering by mistake; authorities at that time seized narcotics and weapons in the operation. On the pitch, the first leg’s decisive moments included Rafa Silva opening the scoring for Benfica and Tchouaméni equalizing for Real Madrid shortly after, swings that left the tie finely poised heading to the Bernabéu.
The mosaic at the Santiago Bernabéu is scheduled to appear at team entry for the Champions League match with Benfica, the next confirmed event tied to the unfolding dispute and the return leg of the tie.
