Real Madrid send ‘all available’ Vinicius evidence to UEFA in racism row

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by By APFebruary 19, 2026 at 01:49 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Real Madrid has submitted evidence to UEFA regarding alleged racist abuse directed at their player, Vinicius Jr., during a Champions League match against Benfica on February 19, 2026. The incident reportedly occurred after Vinicius scored the winning goal and was celebrating near the Benfica corner flag. Vinicius accused Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a "monkey," which Prestianni denies. UEFA has launched an investigation into the matter, appointing a special investigator to gather evidence in Lisbon, where the match took place. Real Madrid expressed support for Vinicius and a commitment to eradicating racism, while Benfica defended Prestianni, claiming he is the victim of defamation and welcoming the UEFA investigation.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Spain 35% Lisbon 40% Champions League ×260% Benfica ×580% Gianluca Prestianni ×680% UEFA ×485% Vinicius Jr ×790% Real Madrid ×490%

Keywords

racism 100% vinicius jr 90% uefa 80% real madrid 80% champions league 70% benfica 70% racial abuse 60% gianluca prestianni 60% investigation 50% football 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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racism vinicius jr uefa real madrid champions league benfica racial abuse gianluca prestianni investigation football

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