Benfica manager Jose Mourinho said in his post-match interview that Vinicius and Prestianni had told him different things about the incident.
Mourinho, who managed Real for 178 games between 2010 and 2013, said Vinicius had been disrespectful in celebrating his goal and pointed to their legendary striker Eusebio as proof Benfica is not a racist club.
“The club clearly and unequivocally confirms its historic and unwavering commitment to defending the values of equality, respect and inclusivity, which are in line with the core values of its foundation and which have Eusebio as their greatest symbol,” Benfica said.
Mourinho and Benfica’s comments have been criticized by a number of people, including anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out.
Kick It Out chairman Sanjay Bhandari said both the club and the manager had “failed”.
“It’s a natural tendency to want to believe your player, but the reality is they haven’t heard it,” Bhandari told BBC Sport.
“There are only two people involved in that conversation and two people who could have heard what was said.
“I think the better response from a club with the fantastic status of Benfica would be to say that we are going to cooperate with the investigation.
“This is very typical after these types of discriminatory events. The discrimination is one thing, the gaslighting is another.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident and praised Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol.
“There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society – we need all relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account,” he added.
“I will always repeat: no to racism, no to any form of discrimination!”
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