Kylian Mbappe has claimed he clearly heard alleged racist remarks directed at his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior by Gianluca Prestianni during their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off clash.
The encounter was temporarily halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius initially refused to continue playing, following an altercation with the Benfica player.
The incident occurred shortly after Vinicius scored the only goal of the match with a superb finish. Moments later, he clashed with Prestianni, who appeared to pull his shirt over his mouth before speaking to the Madrid forward.
Referee Francois Letexier subsequently stopped the game for 10 minutes amid the controversy.
Speaking after the match, Mbappe did not mince words about what he allegedly heard.
“The number 25 from Benfica—I don’t want to say his name, because he doesn’t deserve it,” Mbappe told reporters.
“He pulled up his shirt [to cover his mouth] and said ‘Vinícius is a monkey’ five times.
“I heard it; there are players from Benfica that heard it too.”
