Real Madrid’s Champions League knockout phase play-off tie at Benfica was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius Junior reported alleged racist abuse and he and his team-mates left the field.
Referee Francois Letexier made the crossed arms gesture to signal racist abuse following a conversation with Vinicius.
The Brazil forward had put the Spanish visitors 1-0 up in the second half at the Estadio da Luz, before being booked for an excessive celebration.
Following an interaction with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, Vinicius ran over to referee Letexier while gesturing towards the opposition player.
A Real Madrid statement said Vinicius told the referee he had been racially abused by the Argentina winger.
Vinicius then walked off the pitch and was followed by his Real Madrid team-mates, but play restarted 10 minutes later, in the 60th minute.
The match was played out to its conclusion, with Real winning 1-0 after 12 minutes of stoppage time, during which an object thrown from the crowd struck Vinicius on the arm.
After the match, Vinicius released a statement on Instagram condemning the incident.
“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are,” said Vinicius.
“But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life.
“I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose.”
Benfica forward Vangelis Pavlidis defended team-mate Prestianni.
“I don’t think Prestianni said anything like that to Vinicius. I think it has more to do with the heated rivalry between Brazil and Argentina than anything else,” he said.
Prestianni has yet to respond.
A statement from the Brazilian Football Confederation read: “Racism is a crime. It is unacceptable. It cannot exist in football or anywhere else.”
“Vini, you are not alone. Your decision to activate the protocol is an example of courage and dignity. We are proud of you.
“We will remain steadfast in the fight against all forms of discrimination. We stand by your side. Always.”
The crossed-arms gesture to signal racist abuse was introduced by Fifa in May 2024.
It is made by an on-field referee if they observe or receive a report of abuse.
Objects were seen being thrown from the crowd as Vinicius, 25, danced by the corner flag after scoring a stunning goal in the 50th minute.
That sparked a disagreement between the players on the pitch, following which Vinicius and Prestianni were seen interacting on the halfway line.
The Real star led his team-mates off the pitch after reporting the incident and spoke with Benfica manager Jose Mourinho as staff members from both sides became involved.
Vinicius has been the victim of numerous incidents of racist abuse during his playing career.
Five people were handed suspended prison sentences for racially abusing him last year – the first time that a conviction for racism at a football match in Spain has been handed out.
What is the referee protocol?
Uefa established a three-step racism protocol to handle incidents of discrimination inside stadiums in 2009.
It is designed to give referees the power to halt or even abandon matches if racist behaviour continues.
If the referee becomes aware of a racist incident, they will:
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Stop the match. If the incident involves members of the crowd, an announcement will be made over the public address system calling for any racist behaviour to stop.
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If it continues, the game is stopped for five to 10 minutes and the players will be taken off the pitch while another announcement is made.
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If it resumes after the second restart, the referee can abandon the game.
A match will only be abandoned once the security of the players and public has been assessed. The case is then referred to Uefa’s disciplinary authorities.
