Real Madrid’s victory over Benfica in the Champions League was overshadowed by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s post-match assault and reports of racist abuse against Vinicius Junior.
Trent Alexander-Arnold condemns allegations of racist abuse against Vinicius Jr. (Image: CBS Sports)
Trent Alexander-Arnold has branded the disgusting scenes that marred Real Madrid’s win over Benfica a “disgrace” after Vinicius Junior was accused of racial abuse.
The Real Madrid attacker scored the only goal of the match before going out to celebrate. Things took a turn for the worse shortly after Vinicius Junior approached the referee after an exchange with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestiani, who stopped the match in accordance with UEFA regulations.
The Brazilian player then left the field and the match was suspended for 10 minutes before returning.
Asked about the incident on Amazon Prime after the match, Alexander-Arnold said: “I don’t know if I can comment much because there’s probably an investigation going on, but I think what happened tonight is a shame for football. It casts a shadow over the performance, especially after such a great goal.”
read more: Vinicius Junior claims racist abuse during Benfica vs. Real Madrid suspensionread more: Jose Mourinho furious and sent off during Real Madrid vs. Benfica
“Vini has been through this several times throughout his career and for something like this to happen tonight and ruin a night for us as a team is a disgrace. Like I said, this is a disgrace to football. There is no place for that in football or in society. It’s disgusting.”
Asked how difficult it was to witness what his teammates went through, Alexander-Arnold continued: “It’s upsetting.”
Vinicius Junior left the pitch after the match was suspended (Image: Octavio Passos – UEFA, UEFA via Getty Images)
“As humans, we come here to do our jobs and enjoy what we do. When something like that happens, it takes the fun out of the game and ruins the night for all of us. We came together as a team, dug deep and got the win. I think more than anything, we’re all proud of the way we handled ourselves.”
Asked what should happen next, Alexander-Arnold said: “It’s out of my hands. I think it’s a difficult situation. The referee said he spoke with his shirt over his mouth. I hope that whatever happens, justice will be involved.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League games this season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
