Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has accused Benfica manager Jose Mourinho of “failing” the football industry with his response to allegations of racist abuse directed at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during a Champions League play-off match in Lisbon on Tuesday.
The controversy erupted after Vinicius, 25, reported Benfica’s Argentinian winger Gianluca Prestianni to the referee, alleging a racist remark during the first leg of the tie. The match was paused for ten minutes as officials followed UEFA’s anti-racism protocols. Prestianni has since denied the allegations, claiming Vinicius “misunderstood” what he heard.
Mourinho, however, appeared to apportion some blame to Vinicius, stating after the match, “A stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens, always.” Silvestre, a member of FIFA’s Player’s Voice Panel, which advises on on-pitch racism incidents, strongly criticised Mourinho’s comments, asserting that the Benfica manager attempted to mislead the public.
“In terms of what high level and reputation he has, Jose Mourinho failed us,” Silvestre told Sky News. “As an industry, and as human beings, he completely misled everyone – or he tried. But we are not foolish – and we know what happened.”
Mourinho likewise drew criticism for suggesting Vinicius provoked the reaction with his celebration after scoring the game’s only goal. The Brazilian forward danced by the corner flag, a gesture reminiscent of Cameroonian legend Roger Milla’s iconic celebration at the 1990 World Cup. Mourinho reportedly told Vinicius he should “just celebrate and walk back” in the future, according to reports.
Silvestre condemned Mourinho’s attempt to “vilify” Vinicius’s celebration, stating, “For Jose Mourinho to divert and even vilify Vinicius Junior behaviour for celebrating the goal that he did – remembering Roger Milla for Cameroon years ago – it’s not the way a top manager like him should do. We expect better, clearly it was bad for everyone, and I hope he’s regretting his comment during the game, and also after during the press conference.”
Prestianni, in a statement posted on Instagram and shared by Benfica, denied making racist comments. He wrote, “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vinicius Junior, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard. I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
The incident comes as Vinicius Junior has been the target of numerous racist incidents, with 18 legal complaints filed against racist behaviour directed at him since 2022, according to Al Jazeera. The 25-year-old is expected to lead Brazil’s attack at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
