Vinicius Junior news

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Mark Clattenburg Vinicius Junior Gianluca Prestianni

Clattenburg issues apology after backlash to Vinicius comments

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has apologised for his “clumsy” analysis of the incident involving Real Madrid forward Vinicius and Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni that has seen allegations of racism surface. Clattenburg formed part of Amazon Prime Video’s coverage of a Champions League fixture that took place at Estadio da Luz.

Mourinho accused of 'gaslighting' Vinicius over Benfica chaos

Anti-racism charity Kick It Out has accused Benfica manager Jose Mourinho of 'gaslighting' Vinicius Junior following a controversial Champions League encounter. The fallout stems from Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory in Lisbon, where the Brazilian superstar reported being racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni. Amidst the tension, Mourinho suggested that the forward’s own behaviour and exuberant goal celebration had "incited" the hostile atmosphere and provoked the opposition players.

Vinicius Junior Prestianni Benfica Real Madrid

Portuguese government investigates Prestianni racism allegations

The Portuguese government has revealed that it will be conducting its own investigation into the allegations of racism that have been made against Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni. The 20-year-old Argentine was accused by Vinicius Junior of making racist comments during a Champions League knockout phase play-off fixture that took place at Estadio da Luz.

Gianni Infantino Vinicius Junior Real Madrid Champions League 2026

Infantino 'shocked and saddened' by Vinicius racial abuse allegations

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he is "shocked and saddened" by the allegations of racism from Vinicius Junior against Gianluca Prestianni. Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Benfica was paused for ten minutes after referee Francois Letexier initiated the anti-racism protocol before the fixture resumed. A strike from Vinicius proved to be the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win for Los Blancos.

Luisao Vinicius Junior Benfica Real Madrid Champions League 2026

Benfica legend accuses Prestianni of lying about 'racist act'

Benfica legend Luisao has criticised Gianluca Prestianni for lying about what he allegedly said to Vinicius Junior during Real Madrid's victory in Portugal on Tuesday night. The Champions League game was halted after the Brazilian reported racist abuse to referee Francois Letexier, but Benfica and manager Jose Mourinho have since defended Prestianni and accused Vinicius of inciting racism. Argentine midfielder Prestianni has also claimed Vinicius and his team-mates misheard the words he insisted he used.

SL Benfica v Real Madrid C.F. - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg

Benfica slam 'defamation campaign' against Prestianni

Benfica have said that Gianluca Prestianni is the victim of a "defamation campaign" while backing up the winger's claim that he did not racially abuse Vinicius Junior in Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Vinicius alleged that Prestianni directed a racial slur at him after the Real Madrid star celebrated scoring the opening goal in the first leg of the knockout stage play-off tie.

UEFA confirms investigation into Vinicius' racist abuse allegations

UEFA has officially opened a disciplinary investigation into Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni following allegations of racist behaviour during the first leg of their Champions League play-off clash against Real Madrid. The European governing body confirmed the appointment of an ethics and disciplinary inspector to look into the events at the Estadio da Luz, where Madrid secured a 1-0 victory. The flashpoint occurred shortly after Vinicius Jr found the net, leading to a significant delay as the Brazilian international and several team-mates confronted the opposition and the referee regarding a deeply offensive slur.

Henry calls on Prestianni to tell truth about Vinicius incident

Thierry Henry has called on Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni to tell the truth about his altercation with Vinicius Junior during Tuesday's Champions League match against Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz. Vinicius has alleged that Prestianni directed a racial slur at him during the game, which led to the match being halted for 10 minutes. Henry has now responded with an emotional speech regarding the continued prevalence of racism in football.

Jose Mourinho Vinicius Junior racism row GFX

Hypocrite Mourinho hit new low with Vinicius racism row reaction

Did Gianluca Prestianni racially abuse Vinicius Junior at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night? We don't know. Not yet at least. And that's mainly because the Argentine very deliberately covered his mouth with his shirt as he exchanged words with Vinicius after being inexplicably enraged by the Brazilian celebrating his 50th-minute goal with a little dance in front of the corner flag.

'Messi won that for you!' - Otamendi roasted for taunting Vinicius

The fiery Champions League encounter between Benfica and Real Madrid has sparked a war of words off the pitch, with former Los Blancos midfielder Wesley Sneijder leading the charge. The Dutch legend did not hold back in his assessment of Nicolas Otamendi’s behaviour during the clash at the Estádio da Luz, where the veteran defender was seen taunting Brazilian superstar Vinicius Junior following a heated exchange on the field. The tension reached boiling point during a stoppage related to the competition's racism protocol, during which Otamendi chose to flex his ink in the face of the Real Madrid winger. The former Manchester City man pointed specifically to his tattoos commemorating Argentina's recent triumphs, including the 2022 World Cup, the Finalissima, and the Copa America, in an apparent attempt to pull rank over the young Brazilian regarding international honours.

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Benfica fans spotted directing racist gestures at Vinicius Jr

Benfica fans have been spotted directing racist gestures at Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior during Tuesday's Champions League clash with Los Blancos. An ugly night at the Estadio da Luz also saw the match halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius Jr reported alleged racist abuse to the match referee after an altercation with Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni.

Benfica defend Prestianni amid Vinicius racism row

The fallout from a volatile Champions League knockout phase playoff clash between Benfica and Real Madrid has taken a dramatic turn, as the Portuguese giants have moved to publicly defend Gianluca Prestianni. The fallout from the match, which was marred by serious allegations of racism directed at Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior, has descended into a series of public statements and finger-pointing. After Prestianni initially denied the accusations, Benfica took to social media to offer an unwavering show of solidarity with their young Argentine midfielder.

Mourinho accused of 'justifying racism' with Vinicius comments

Benfica boss Jose Mourinho has been accused of "justifying racism" following his comments on Vinicius Junior after Tuesday's Champions League between his side and Real Madrid. The game had to be halted for 10 minutes after the Brazil international alleged a racial slur had been directed at him by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni after he had scored what turned out to be the winning goal.

Vini Jr issues statement accusing 'coward' Prestianni of racial slur

Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has issued a statement accusing Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racial slur at him during Tuesday's clash between the two sides in the Champions League. Vinicius scored the winning goal early in the second half at the Estadio da Luz but the game was subsequently stopped for 10 minutes after the Brazil international reported alleged racist abuse to match referee Francois Letexier.

Mourinho points finger at Vinicius after alleged racist abuse

Jose Mourinho has sensationally claimed that Benfica 'cannot be a racist club' after Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior accused one of his players of abuse during Los Blancos' 1-0 win over the Portuguese side in the Champions League knockout play-offs. Instead, the former head coach of the Spanish club has claimed that the Brazilian international incited Tuesday night's chaos in Lisbon.

Vini has the last laugh - but UCL win completely overshadowed

Vinicius Jr scored the only goal of an otherwise controversial fixture as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout play-off. The Brazilian forward's second-half strike was followed by a lengthy delay for an alleged racist remark from a Benfica player to Vinicius. Play continued, and Madrid held on for a crucial lead in the tie.

Frequently asked questions

: Vinicius angestammte Position ist die des linken Flügelspielers. Hier kann er seine Schnelligkeit und seine Stärken im 1-gegen-1 am besten ausspielen. Jedoch besetzt er bei Real Madrid auch immer häufiger die Mitte, weil auch sein Teamkollege Kylian Mbappe gerne über links kommt. Vini Jr. rotiert auch während dem Spiel gerne die Positionen durch, auch auf die rechte Seite
: Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior, wie Vini Jr. mit vollem Namen heißt, wurde am 12. Juli 2000 in Sao Goncalo, einer Großstadt des brasilianischen Bundesstaates Rio de Janeiro geboren. Die Stadt hat knapp eine Millionen Einwohner.
: Bei Real Madrid bekleidet Vini Jr. seit der Saison 2023/24 die legendäre Nummer Sieben. Die prominenten Vorgänger von ihm: Cristiano Ronaldo, Raul und Emilio Butragueño. Bei Brasilien ist er meist mit der Nummer 10 im Einsatz, Vinicius trug aber auch schon öfters beim Nationalteam die Sieben.
: Laut Angaben seines Vereins misst Vinicius genau 1,76 Meter. Damit wird er nicht mehr zu einem gefürchteten Kopfballungeheuer werden, die Stärken des Brasilianers liegen aber sowieso in anderen Bereichen.
: Auf der Website von Real Madrid ist sein Gewicht mit 73kg beziffert. Dies hilft ihm natürlich bei seinen schnellen Dribblings und Wendungen.
: Bekannt ist, dass Vinicius meistens mit seinen Nike Zoom Mercurial spielt. Die genau Größe seiner Stiefel ist jedoch nicht bekannt.
: Sein starker Fuß ist klar der rechte. Letzte Saison erzielte er 14 seiner 20 Treffer für Real Madrid mit diesem Fuß. Aber auch der linke ist nicht zu unterschätzen, damit war Vini Jr. sechsmal erfolgreich.
: Vinicius landete schon im Jahr 2005 beim größten Klub der Region, Flamengo. Zwölf Jahre war er in den verschiedenen Jugendteams des Vereins unterwegs, bis der Flügelspieler mit 17 Jahren sein Debüt bei den Profis gab.
: Gesicherte Informationen zu seinem genauen Wohnort sind nicht bekannt. Er dürfte jedoch im Madrider Nobelstadtteil La Moraleja wohnen. Auch in seiner Heimat Brasilien dürften Vini Jr. einige Immobilien gehören.
: Real Madrid wird von BMW gesponsert und so fährt Vini Jr. auch meist ein Auto der deutschen Marke. Anfang letzter Saison bekam Vinicius einen BMW i7 M70 xDrive mit 659 PS und einem Wert von über 180.000 Euro. Gesichert ist auch, dass sich in seiner Autosammlung auch noch weitere Fahrzeuge deutscher Hersteller befinden, so soll er unter anderem drei Audis in der Garage geparkt haben.
: Vinicius spricht kein Deutsch. Seine Muttersprache ist portugiesisch und auch in spanisch kann er fließend kommunizieren, 2023 erhielt er sogar den spanischen Pass. Weiters wird vermutet, dass sich Vini Jr. auf Englisch zumindest verständigen kann.
: Laut offiziellen Angaben hat Vinicius Jr. noch keine Kinder. Auch Gerüchte um einen Sohn oder eine Tochter des Superstars halten sich in Grenzen.
: Vini Jr. ist nicht verheiratet und auch über eine Freundin ist nichts offiziell bekannt. Auch auf seinen Social Media-Kanälen gibt es keine Hinweise auf eine Beziehung.
: Das Gehalt von Vini Jr. bei Real Madrid beläuft sich auf knapp 21 Millionen Euro im Jahr. Hinzu kommen noch Sponsorendeals und weiter Einnahmen. Forbes schätzt sein Nettovermögen auf 55 Millionen US-Dollar.
: Titel und Trophäen hat Vini Jr. in seiner noch immer jungen Karriere schon viele gewonnen. Er wurde sowohl dreimal spanischer Meister, als auch spanischer Superpokalsieger und Klub-Weltmeister. Außerdem gewann der Brasilianer je zweimal die Champions League und den UEFA Super-Cup und zusätzlich konnte Vini auch einmal den spanischen Pokal in die Höhe stemmen. Das macht insgesamt 14 Profi-Titel - mit gerade einmal 25 Jahren.
: Die leidigste Saga der vergangenen Jahre. Nach einer grandiosen Saison 2023/24 wurde Vinicius lange als Favorit auf den Ballon d'Or gehandelt. Als sich abzeichnete, dass der Spanier Rodri die Tropjäe einheimsen wird, machte die ganze Entourage von Real Madrid kehrt und boykottierte die Verleihung. Damit fügte Vini Jr. seinem Ruf erheblichen Schaden zu.
: Immerhin wurde er im selben Jahr von der FIFA zum Weltfußballer 2024 gekürt. Mit Madrid gewann er in dieser Saison die Champions League, die LaLiga und den spanischen Supercup und erzielte dabei 24 Tore.
: Vini Jr. ist der Spitzname des Brasilianers, der mit bürgerlichen Namen Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior heißt.

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