Benfica Identify Two Fans Who Made Racist Gestures Towards Vinícius Jr
Benfica have identified two supporters who directed racist monkey gestures at Vinícius Jr during their Champions League clash with Real Madrid at the Estádio da Luz.
A deeply ugly night in Lisbon has taken another significant turn, with Benfica reportedly identifying the two fans responsible for making racist monkey gestures towards Vinícius Jr during the Champions League tie at the Estádio da Luz.
What’s Happened So Far
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Benfica have gone through footage from the match and pinpointed the individuals involved. The club are now apparently checking whether those fans are registered members or not — which will determine exactly what kind of disciplinary process follows.
If the identifications are confirmed, the club could:
- Launch a formal internal disciplinary procedure
- Permanently expel the supporters from the club altogether
It’s not nothing, to be fair. Clubs talking the talk on racism is one thing, but actually booting people out is a different matter entirely.
How We Got Here
The whole sorry saga kicked off after an incident involving Benfica’s young Argentine forward Prestianni and Vini, with the Brazilian claiming Prestianni called him a monkey during the game. That allegation triggered the FIFA anti-racism protocol, bringing the match to a halt for several minutes.
For a good while, it genuinely wasn’t clear whether the game was going to restart at all — proper tense stuff. And then, almost as if things couldn’t get any worse, sections of the Estádio da Luz crowd started directing abuse at Real Madrid players, with Vini bearing the brunt of it from the terraces.
The Bigger Picture
Look, Vinícius has been through this more times than anyone should ever have to. The fact that we’re still writing these stories in 2025 is genuinely depressing. What’s slightly different this time is the speed at which Benfica appear to be acting — identifying fans within days of the match rather than letting it quietly disappear.
Whether that leads to meaningful consequences or just a bit of PR management remains to be seen. The proof, as ever, will be in the pudding — or in this case, whether those fans actually face any real sanction.
- Benfica’s response will be watched closely by UEFA and anti-racism campaigners
- The Prestianni incident itself is still subject to separate investigation
- Real Madrid have not yet publicly commented on Benfica’s identification of the fans
It’s a proper mess, and one that’s going to rumble on for a while yet. Football has a racism problem it still hasn’t sorted, and nights like this one in Lisbon are an uncomfortable reminder of exactly that.
Source: MARCA – Benfica identifica a los dos aficionados que hicieron el gesto del mono a Vinicius