How did this happen to the 'unprecedented' European top tournament, the suspension of the Champions League... In the end, the KFA made an official statement

*This content was translated by AI.

It is a shocking incident at the European Parliament of highest authority. Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior (26) was racist during the game, and the team left the stadium as a group during the game and the game was suspended.

Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in the first round of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16 playoffs in the 2025-2026 season at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal on the 18th (Korea time).

It was a showdown where the atmosphere was unusual. The game was interrupted for about 10 minutes in an unprecedented situation. This is because the game is overheated due to the controversy over racism.

The incident occurred shortly after Vinicius scored the first goal. Vinicius celebrated by dancing near the corner flag after scoring a fantastic goal in the fifth minute of the second half. In the process, there was a vicious atmosphere, such as filth being thrown from the stands. Vinicius was then given a yellow card for excessive ceremony.

In addition, Vinicius clashed with Benfica striker Gianluca Prestiani. According to a statement from Real Madrid, Vinicius reported to referee François LeTexier that he had heard racist comments from Prestiani from Argentina.

The referee announced the occurrence of racism through a racist protocol introduced by FIFA in May 2024. All Real Madrid players, including Vinicius, left the stadium in protest.

The game was suspended for about 10 minutes and then resumed only 15 minutes into the second half. Despite the chaos, Real Madrid secured Vinicius' winning goal to the end to win 1-0. However, just before the end of the game, there was a scene that raised eyebrows, such as an object thrown from the stands being hit by Vinicius' arm.

"Racists are cowards above all else," Vinicius said on social media after the game. "They must shut their mouths to hide their weakness," he said, "and it is still incomprehensible that they were warned for ceremony reasons. What happened today is nothing new in my life or our team," he said. On the other hand, Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis said, "I don't think Prestiani said that. I think it happened because of a fierce rivalry between Brazil and Argentina rather than racism," he said, defending his colleague.

The Brazilian Football Association (CBF) immediately issued a statement saying, "Racism is a crime and is absolutely unacceptable. I am proud of Vinicius for courageously activating the protocol," he said, giving full support.

First of all, UEFA will investigate the incident in accordance with anti-racism protocols. According to this regulation, if racist acts continue, the referee can stop or even cancel the game altogether.

Vinicius has been plagued by constant racism throughout his career. From insulting songs from Atletico Madrid fans in 2022, to collective boos on the road to Valencia in 2023, and even threats from a doll modeled after him hanging from his legs. Last year, fans were sentenced to prison for racist abuse against Vinicius for the first time in Spanish soccer history.

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*This content was translated by AI.