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

§ 01

Briefing Summary

AI-generated

NEWSAR · AI

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.

Confidence 0.90Sources 3Claims 5Entities 8

§ 02

Article analysis

Model · rule-based

Framing

Social Justice

Legal & Judicial

Tone

Measured

AI-assessed

CalmNeutralAlarmist

Factuality

0.80 / 1.00

Factual

LowHigh

Sources cited

3

Well sourced

FewMany

§ 03

Key claims

5 extracted

01

Benfica said Prestianni was the victim of a “defamation campaign”.

quoteBenfica

Confidence

1.00

02

Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius.

factualArticle (reporting Prestianni's denial)

Confidence

1.00

03

Vinicius accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of calling him “monkey”.

factualArticle (reporting Vinicius's claim)

Confidence

1.00

04

UEFA appointed a special investigator to gather evidence about the alleged incident.

factualArticle

Confidence

1.00

05

Real Madrid sent UEFA “all available evidence” of an alleged racist insult against Vinicius Jr.

quoteReal Madrid

Confidence

1.00

§ 04

Full report

2 min read · 307 words

Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr alleges he was racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.Published On 19 Feb 2026Real Madrid has sent UEFA, football’s governing body in Europe, “all available evidence” of an alleged racist insult against Vinicius Jr in a Champions League match against Benfica.“Our club has actively collaborated with the investigation opened by UEFA following the unacceptable episodes of racism experienced during that match,” the Spanish club said on Thursday without elaborating on the evidence.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Legal doping in sport: Records or Ethics?list 2 of 4T20 World Cup: What you need to know about the Super Eight stagelist 3 of 4Russian, Belarusian athletes to compete under own flag at Paralympics 2026list 4 of 4Safety concerns resurface after Vonn’s skis didn’t release in Olympic crashend of listUEFA appointed a special investigator on Wednesday to gather evidence about what happened in Lisbon on Tuesday in Madrid’s 1-0 win at Benfica in the first leg of the knockout round of the Champions League.Vinicius accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of calling him “monkey” after the Brazilian scored the only goal. Prestianni was among the Benfica players upset with Vinícius after the forward celebrated by the Benfica corner flag.Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt when he allegedly spoke to the Brazilian player and denied racially abusing Vinicius, who is Black and has been subjected to repeated racist insults in Spain.“Real Madrid appreciates the unanimous support, backing, and affection that our player Vinicius Jr. has received from all areas of the global football community,” the club said. “Real Madrid will continue working, in collaboration with all institutions, to eradicate racism, violence, and hate in sports and society.”Benfica said Prestianni was the victim of a “defamation campaign” and welcomed the investigation opened by UEFA, saying it “fully supports and believes the version presented” by Prestianni.

§ 05