French Players' Union Praises Mbappé and Tchouaméni for Standing Up to Racism at Benfica
France's UNFP union has lauded Mbappé and Tchouaméni for their response to alleged racist abuse aimed at Vinicius Jr during Real Madrid's Champions League tie.
The French footballers’ union has come out swinging in support of Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni after the pair refused to stay quiet when Vinicius Jr reportedly faced racist abuse during Real Madrid’s Champions League playoff clash with Benfica.
What Actually Happened
During Tuesday’s first leg, Vinicius Jr alleged that Benfica’s Argentine forward Gianluca Prestianni directed racist abuse at him — reportedly calling him a monkey on multiple occasions — after Vinicius had scored the goal that currently gives Madrid the advantage heading into the second leg.
Rather than letting it slide, his teammates stepped in immediately:
- Mbappé confronted Prestianni directly on the pitch and was notably vocal about it afterwards with the press
- Tchouaméni also intervened, backing up his Brazilian teammate
- French referee François Letexier triggered UEFA’s anti-discrimination protocol straight away, bringing the match to a temporary halt
The Union’s Response
France’s UNFP — the national union for professional footballers — were quick to recognise all three Frenchmen involved. They described the attitude shown by Mbappé and Tchouaméni as “exemplary” and made clear that staying silent in the face of racism simply isn’t an option.
The union also praised Letexier for acting without hesitation, which is exactly what that protocol is there for. The UNFP made the point that protecting the dignity of players is a collective responsibility — players, referees, and institutions alike.
Mbappé Doesn’t Hold Back
Look, Mbappé has copped a fair bit of stick this season for various reasons, but you can’t fault him here. He was the most combative of the lot during the incident, getting in Prestianni’s face on the pitch. Afterwards, he was equally direct with the media — saying he clearly heard the abuse and calling out the fact that Prestianni had apparently tried to hide his mouth with his shirt while saying it.
He went further too, calling for Prestianni to be banned from the Champions League entirely. Whether UEFA act on that remains to be seen, but the sentiment is hard to argue with.
The Bigger Picture
This is one of those moments where football actually gets something right. Too often these incidents get brushed under the carpet — players stay schtum, referees bottle it, and the whole thing gets lost in the noise. Here, the protocol worked, the teammates stood up, and the union backed them publicly.
Vinicius has dealt with this sort of thing far too many times throughout his career. Having his dressing room — and particularly a player of Mbappé’s profile — firmly in his corner matters. Real Madrid’s second leg at Benfica is still to come, and all eyes will be on how UEFA handle any potential disciplinary fallout.