Rio Ferdinand slams 'racist rats' after Vinicius incident in Lisbon
Man Utd legend backs Real Madrid star after alleged racist abuse from Benfica player Prestianni during Champions League clash in Portugal.
Former England and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has come out swinging in defense of Vinícius Júnior following the latest racist incident aimed at the Brazilian star during Real Madrid’s Champions League match in Lisbon.
”Unacceptable” behavior
Ferdinand, now a pundit on British television, recorded a passionate video for his social media platforms where he condemned the alleged racist abuse from Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni after Vinicius scored and celebrated with his trademark dance.
“Is Vini to blame? That he shouldn’t celebrate like that? How? It’s unacceptable,” Ferdinand fumed in his video statement.
The former defender drew parallels with beloved celebrations from football history, questioning why we’re trying to strip away the beautiful elements of the sport:
“Football is a beautiful sport. For example, why do we love Roger Milla? For how he celebrated with his fans. They’re trying to rob us of the beautiful part of this sport.”
Calls for punishment
Ferdinand didn’t mince his words when calling for serious consequences, making it crystal clear where he stands on the matter:
“This kind of rubbish, these rats who make those racist comments, must be punished. We don’t have to protect them.”
He also highlighted the credibility of the accusation, noting that Kylian Mbappé reportedly heard the comment and pointing out Prestianni’s suspicious body language: “You only cover your mouth when you have something to hide. It’s disgusting.”
Match incident
The incident occurred during Tuesday’s Benfica-Real Madrid Champions League clash when French referee François Letexier activated the anti-racism protocol shortly after Vinicius scored the match’s only goal in the 49th minute.
After celebrating with a dance near the corner flag, Vinicius reported a racist insult from Prestianni, who had covered his mouth with his shirt while saying something to the Brazilian.
Ferdinand’s comments reflect growing frustration among football personalities about the persistent racism faced by players like Vinicius, with the pundit adding: “Now I want to see how the authorities respond.”