Jose Mourinho delivered his strongest message yet on the Gianluca Prestianni racism investigation, insisting the young winger will never play for him again if UEFA confirms he racially abused Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. The Benfica manager addressed the controversy with sharp clarity, defending his principles while demanding due process.
Mourinho draws a hard line on racism
Mourinho stated that he rejects any form of discrimination and will not tolerate it inside Benfica. He stressed that if Prestianni violated those values, his future under him ends immediately. The 63‑year‑old coach emphasised the importance of presumption of innocence but made his stance unmistakable.
Prestianni, 20, denied racially abusing Vinicius during the Champions League play‑off first leg on 17 February. UEFA issued a provisional one‑match ban, which kept him out of the second leg while investigators review the incident. The Argentine faces further punishment once the ethics inspector completes the case.
Benfica defend their player amid media reports
Portuguese media claimed Prestianni admitted to using a racist insult. Benfica responded forcefully, calling the reports false. The club said the winger apologised to teammates for the incident’s impact but repeated that he is not racist. They insisted he never confessed to any discriminatory remark.
During the heated match at the Estadio da Luz, Mourinho received a red card for accusing referee Francois Letexier of avoiding bookings for Real Madrid players. The Portuguese coach later said that “something always happens” when Vinicius plays, referencing the Brazilian’s frequent involvement in controversial moments.
Mourinho stands by earlier comments
After the first leg, Mourinho suggested Vinicius incited the crowd by dancing at the corner flag after scoring. Critics attacked him for that stance, but he refused to back down. He said he aimed for fairness, neither defending Prestianni blindly nor attacking Vinicius without evidence.
Mourinho also expressed affection for Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa, whom he coached during his time in Spain. However, he maintained that he took the correct position in the aftermath of the incident.
Vinicius responds on the pitch
Vinicius scored again in the second leg in Madrid, helping Real overturn a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate. His performance pushed the Spanish giants into the next round while the controversy surrounding the first leg continues to dominate headlines.
