Richards blasts Prestianni as 'absolute coward' after Vinicius incident
Former Man City defender Micah Richards has slammed Benfica's Prestianni for covering his mouth during alleged racist abuse directed at Vinicius Jr.
CBS pundit and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has torn into Benfica youngster Gianluca Prestianni following a heated incident with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr in their Champions League clash.
‘Absolute coward’
Richards didn’t mince his words when discussing the controversial moment that saw the match halted for approximately eight minutes:
“He’s an absolute coward,” Richards fumed on CBS’s Champions League coverage, referring to how Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt while allegedly directing comments at Vinicius.
The incident occurred shortly after Vinicius had scored and celebrated with a dance by the corner flag in the 49th minute - the only goal in Madrid’s 1-0 away victory.
Match disruption
The situation quickly escalated as:
- French referee François Letexier implemented the anti-racism protocol
- Vinicius and teammates, including Kylian Mbappé, threatened to walk off the pitch
- Tensions flared between both sets of players
- The game was paused for around eight minutes
Richards’ defence of Vinicius
The former England international stood firmly behind Vinicius, suggesting the Brazilian’s reaction spoke volumes about what was said.
“By his reaction, you know Vinicius wouldn’t lie about something that serious,” Richards added, expressing sympathy for the Madrid star who faced hostility from sections of the crowd following the incident.
“Everyone knows what’s happening, and for him to be insulted like that after already being insulted… it’s just not right,” continued the pundit, who’s become one of the most respected voices in football broadcasting since hanging up his boots.
The incident marks another troubling chapter in what has been an ongoing issue for Vinicius, who has repeatedly faced racist abuse during his time in Spanish football. This time, however, the ugly scenes played out on European football’s biggest stage.