Thibaut Courtois said he was “disappointed” by Jose Mourinho’s claims that Vinicius Junior’s goal celebration led to allegations of racial abuse as Real Madrid prepare to host Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League play-offs on Wednesday.
UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni for one match as the investigation continues into the incident following Vinicius’ goal in Madrid’s 1-0 win in Lisbon last week, with Benfica and Prestianni insisting he is innocent.
In the aftermath of the first leg, Mourinho, who is suspended for the second leg after receiving a red card late in last week’s match, suggested the confrontation was sparked by Brazil’s players celebrating by dancing near the corner flag at the Estadio da Luz.
“Mourinho is Mourinho and as a manager he will always stand by his club and his players,” Courtois said at a press conference on Tuesday. “But what I was disappointed about was that they took advantage of Vini’s celebration. Vini did nothing wrong. You cannot use a player’s celebration to justify an obvious act of racism.”
Despite the suspension, Prestiani traveled to Madrid with the Benfica squad for Wednesday’s match at the Bernabéu. “It’s a big time for football to deal with these issues,” Courtois said.
“In the dressing room we know what Vinicius said to us. It happened many times on the football field, on the field and in the stadium, but we have to deal with it now.
“I know that Vini heard it 100% and I believe him 100%. We will never know for sure because[Prestiani]covered his face with his shirt. Benfica are protecting their players and it will be up to each institution to decide.”
UEFA’s disciplinary regulations include guidelines for a 10-match suspension for discriminatory behavior.
Sources told ESPN that in evidence to UEFA, Prestiani said he used an anti-gay slur, not a racist slur, when speaking to Vinicius.
“To me, it seems just as serious,” Courtois said. “This is an affront to homophobia. It’s just as serious… we can never accept racism, homophobia, anything like that.”
Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa called on UEFA to “ensure that[anti-racism]is not just a slogan or a fancy banner before a match.”
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“I hope they take their chances,” Arbeloa said. “(Vini) is fit, enthusiastic and wants to play this type of game. He has been decisive since I arrived (in January).”
Another Madrid forward, Kylian Mbappé, has been suffering from knee problems in recent weeks, but Arbeloa said he would be available for Wednesday’s game.
“Kilian is ready to play tomorrow, that’s the most important thing right now,” Arbeloa said. “It’s important to appreciate the dedication he shows to his team-mates. He tries to help us on the pitch.”
