Real: Vinicius, UEFA and Mourinho… Arbeloa sends his messages

At a press conference on Friday, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa addressed the accusations of racism made by Madrid winger Vinicius Junior against Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni. The Spanish coach delivered several messages.

During Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, Madrid winger Vinicius Junior denounced racist insults from his Lisbon counterpart Gianluca Prestianni.

Three days after the incident, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa delivered several messages at a press conference on Friday.

Vinicius ‘sad and very indignant’, UEFA faces up to its responsibilities

First, the Spanish coach gave an update on Vinicius. ‘He was sad, like everyone else, and very indignant. It was a racist act that we never want to see happen again; it has no place in our sport. We have a huge opportunity to seize. I think I’ve been clear: the important thing is to fight against these acts. It’s unacceptable,’ insisted the former defender.

Arbeloa was very clear in his statement, putting pressure on UEFA, which has opened an investigation to try to shed light on the matter. ‘It’s not my place to decide on sanctions and UEFA’s response, but obviously there has to be a sanction. This must mark a turning point in the world of football. It’s a great opportunity to make decisions and ensure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again,’ the Spaniard reiterated.

Arbeloa’s words on Mourinho

Of course, the Madrid coach did not escape questions about the statements made by Lisbon manager José Mourinho. Without taking sides, the Special One was criticised for his comments criticising Vinicius for his celebration. ‘Disappointed by Mourinho? Everyone saw what happened, we all watched the match. That’s what really matters, we can’t divert attention from the subject. We have a great opportunity ahead of us,’ he emphasised.

“I don’t like to give my opinion on what other people think, neither Kompany, nor Mou, nor anyone else. Everyone is free to express their opinion, I’m just giving mine. Vini scored a superb goal and celebrated it as we’ve seen many players do hundreds of times, regardless of their skin colour. We can’t make the victim out to be a provocateur. I repeat: nothing Vini did justifies a racist act,” Arbeloa concluded.