EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsUEFA has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate allegations of a racist slur directed at Real Madrid forward Vincius Jnior during Tuesday's Champions League playoff match at Benfica.Vincius scored the only goal in the first leg at the Estdio da Luz, but during his celebration, he became embroiled in a spat with Benfica players, including Gianluca Prestianni, accusing the Argentinian midfielder of racial abuse.The game was paused for 10 minutes after the referee initiated UEFA's anti-racism protocol.The 20-year-old forward faces a potential 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse in UEFA's disciplinary code."A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 knockout playoff between Club Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026," a UEFA statement said.Prestianni, 20, denied Vinicius' allegations on social media, stating that the Brazil international "misinterpreted what he thinks he heard."Madrid's Kylian Mbapp said he heard Prestianni call Vincius a "monkey" five times.Sources told ESPN that Vincius is well and is very grateful for the support he has received from his club and teammates, particularly Mbapp, who was one of the first Madrid players to come to Vincius' defense.The French star was captured shortly after the alleged episode by Spanish TV Movistar+ cameras confronting Prestianni on the pitch and accusing him of racism.Speaking to reporters after the game, Mbapp said he "really hurt for Vincius" while demanded that action be taken against Prestianni.- Seedorf on Mourinho's Vincius reaction: Mistake to justify racial abuse- Trent Alexander-Arnold calls for 'justice' after Vincius Jr. racism accusation- Kylian Mbapp: 'I heard' racist abuse of Vincius JniorBenfica, meanwhile, argued that Madrid players could not have heard alleged racist abuse because of the noise at the stadium and the distance between the players.Former Benfica captain Luis�o was among those that criticized the Portuguese team's stance.Benfica take on Madrid at the Bernabu in the return leg on Feb. 25 needing to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit.Information from ESPN's Gustavo Hofman contributed to this report.
