Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg issues apology after backlash to Vinicius Junior comments

An eventful contest in Lisbon saw Brazil international Vinicius open the scoring in spectacular fashion early in the second half. After firing the ball into the top corner, the South American took to celebrating by the corner flag in front of agitated home supporters.

He eventually made his way back towards the halfway line and lined up opposite Prestianni ready for the restart. The 20-year-old Argentine muttered something, while hiding his mouth with his shirt, and Vinicius raced off towards match referee Francois Letexier.

The game was subsequently brought to a halt, as UEFA guidelines were followed on the back of alleged racist comments being made, and did not restart for 10 minutes. It was during that break that Clattenburg delivered his controversial analysis.

He said of Vinicius: “Yes, he scored a wonderful goal but he should have just returned over to the other side of the pitch and he could have got on with the game. Vinicius Jr has not helped himself. He’s made this difficult for the referee. He’s scored a wonderful goal and all he has to do - yes, celebrate - is return back. But he has made this situation very, very difficult.”

Clattenburg’s comments attracted plenty of criticism on social media. Troy Townsend, who has worked for anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out for more than a decade, was among those to speak up as he posted on X: “He should never be involved in commentary again.”

Townsend has since told Telegraph Sport: “Clattenburg would have influenced so many people with his words on commentary about the incident. His insinuation that Vini Jr has given the referee a problem is nothing short of outlandish and part of the victim-blaming culture that always exists at this time, particularly with Vini Jnr. 

“His employers may need to make him aware of how dangerous his comments were and how they could be perceived but I’m sure he would be aware of that.”

Clattenburg is aware that he spoke out of line and has offered an apology in his own social media post, which reads: “Nothing justifies racism in sport or in life. I got it wrong, I’m sorry.

“It was live TV, my job is to respond in the moment and the words I used were clumsy and not right. I’m already learning from this and appreciate my colleagues who covered the situation with class throughout.”

Vinicius said in a post-match statement, having been subjected to several racist taunts down the years: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. 

“Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team's life. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don't like to appear in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it's necessary.”

Prestianni has denied accusations of racially abusing Vinicius, claiming that the Brazilian winger “misunderstood what he thought he heard”. His manager at Benfica, former Real boss Jose Mourinho, has also attracted criticism for trying to defend the actions of his player.

UEFA, European football’s governing body, has opened an investigation into what occurred in Lisbon. The Portuguese government, through the Authority for the Prevention and Fight against Violence in Sport (APCVD), are also looking into the incident. Any sanctions will be announced once those processes have been completed.