Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa, speaking to Amazon Prime about the incident with Vinicius Junior: “You have to ask Benfica’s players, it is not a question for me.”
On if that is because of what is alleged to have been said to Vinicius Jr: “Yes. I think everyone can see what happened with Prestianni. He put his shirt in his mouth and now you have to ask him.”
On what Vinicius Jr said to him: “What Vini said is not important. I think we need to fight against racism. It is the most important thing now in football. We support Vini now, of course, and now you have to ask them.
“Of course we have to fight against this type of attitude and to focus on football, but first we have to fight against things like that. We have to fight, especially the footballers. If we don’t respect each other it is difficult.”
On whether Vinicius Jr needed to be persuaded to come back on: “We spoke with him. He wanted to play, he wanted to help the team. He wanted to continue on the field and we fight until the end.”
This is the moment where the game went drastically downhill and the ‘ugly’ scenes unfolded inside the Estadio da Luz.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni covers his mouth whilst staring directly at Real Madrid’s goalscorer Vinicius Junior.
Shortly after, Vinicius had informed the referee and walked off the pitch and sat on the Real Madrid bench.
Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, speaking to Amazon Prime: “Obviously, it is upsetting. We as people, we come here to do a job.
“We enjoy what we do and when something like that happens it takes the fun out of the game and ruins the night for all of us.
“We dug deep and got the win. Most of all, we are proud of the way we handled it in a hostile environment.
“The way the environment reacted to it didn’t affect us. We dug deep.”
Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, speaking to Amazon Prime: “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium.
“A stadium where Vinicius plays something happens, always.
“Look, I am saying it was a good 50 minutes of football. I believe millions of people are watching around the world – a crazy goal and then game over.”
On being shown a red card: “Yes, because I told the referee the truth, but they don’t like to listen to the truth.”
More from Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, speaking to Amazon Prime: “I saw two completely different things. I want to be independent, and I don’t comment about it. I told him [Vinícius] exactly that.
“I told him [Vinicius] – when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusebio] in the history of this club was black.
“This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. If in his mind there was something in relation to that – this in Benfica. They [Vinicius and Gianluca Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”
Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, speaking to Amazon Prime: “These talents are able to do these beautiful things, but unfortunately he [Vinicius Junior] was not just happy to score that astonishing goal.
“When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
On Vinicius Jr. inciting the crowd: “Yes. I believe so. Then the words that they exchange Gianluca Prestianni with Vinicius I want to be an independent.”
Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, speaking to Amazon Prime: “I don’t know if he [Vinicius Junior] took persuading or not [to come back on to the pitch]. I think he wanted to carry on. He has got a strong mentality.
“He has been subject to this a few times throughout his career and he handled it excellently.
“A hostile environment, passionate and clearly upset with the way, maybe the way Vini celebrated. I am not sure what set them off like that. The hostile environment, we are used to it as a team and players.”
On what the punishment should be for racial abuse: “That is out of my hands. I think it is a difficult situation. The referee said he did say whatever he did say with his shirt over his mouth. Hopefully there is justice involved with whatever happens.”
Benfica boss Jose Mourinho is being interviewed by Amazon Prime.
He is indicating that Vinicius Junior celebrated his goal in a disrespectful way.
“It should be the crazy moment of the game, an amazing goal. Unfortunately not just happy to score astonishing goal. When you score a goal like that you celebrate in a respectful way.”
