Belgian coach Vincent Kompany, head coach of Bayern Munich, has spoken out in defense of Vinícius Júnior, the Brazilian star of Real Madrid, following allegations that he was subjected to racist abuse during a recent Champions League match.
Vinícius reportedly told teammates that Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni, who plays for SL Benfica, directed racist insults at him during Real Madrid’s 1-0 away victory in the first leg of the Champions League playoff for a place in the Round of 16 last Tuesday.
The alleged incident led to an 11-minute stoppage after the referee activated the stadium’s anti-racism protocol.
Later, UEFA announced that it had appointed an investigator from its disciplinary committee to examine the claims.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, Kompany said: “I watched the match and it really caught my attention. There are several aspects to this story, what happens on the pitch, what happens with the fans, and what happens after the game.”
He added: “On the pitch, when you see Vinícius’ reaction, it’s not something you can fake. You can clearly see it was an emotional response. I don’t see any benefit for him in going to the referee and putting himself through that, but he did it because it was the right thing to do in that moment.”
Kompany also noted that Kylian Mbappé, who was standing beside Vinícius, supported his teammate’s version of events.
“Mbappé, who is usually diplomatic, was very clear about what he heard and saw,” he said.
The Belgian coach was particularly critical of comments made after the match by José Mourinho, Benfica’s head coach.
Mourinho suggested that Vinícius may have provoked the crowd, although he admitted he could not fully confirm either version of events.
“The worst part was what happened after the match,” Kompany stated. “Downplaying Vinícius’ complaint is a serious mistake and should not be accepted. I understand Mourinho’s personality and that he defends his team and club. He can’t be a bad person if so many former players speak highly of him. But in this situation, he was wrong.”
He concluded: “There are things you simply cannot do, like dismiss someone and attack their character just because they are speaking out about something they experienced. I think about similar situations I have faced. Was that because of celebrations too?”
The investigation into the alleged incident remains ongoing.
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