Wesley Sneijder absolutely tore into Benfica defender Nicolas Otamendi for his actions during their Champions League loss against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Vinicius Junior scored the only goal of the game in Los Blancos' 1-0 victory, curling in a fantastic effort after cutting inside from the left-wing. However, the aftermath of the strike was overshadowed by accusations that Gianluca Prestianni had made racist comments toward the Brazilian international.
Play was suspended for 10 minutes after a signal was made to indicate discriminatory language had been used. But clashes continued beyond that point, as Kylian Mbappe and others confronted Prestianni.
Mbappe later accused Prestianni of calling Vincius 'a monkey' five times before the referee was alerted by the Madrid player. Although Prestianni has denied the allegations, the matter is being investigated by UEFA, who have confirmed the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector.
Nicolas Otamendi Caught Goading Vinicius in Champions League Match
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior with teammates as the match was stopped due to racist chants
Prestianni was not the only Benfica player who clashed with Vinicius on Tuesday night, though. Cameras picked up an interaction between Otamendi and the winger in added time at the end of the game.
The centre-back was seen speaking to the 25-year-old and lifting his shirt up while pointing to tattoos on his body. It emerged after the game that he was showing off his World Cup, Copa America and Finalissima trophies that he had won with Argentina, which sparked a reaction from his opponent, as he seemingly said something in response.
Check Out the Footage Below:
Wesley Sneijder Savages Otamendi for His Actions
Wesley Sneijder arrives for the Best FIFA Football Awards
However, Otamendi's actions did not go down too well with former Real Madrid star Sneijder. The Dutchman, who was on punditry duty, said that after the match he felt as though Vinicius should have fired back and said the Argentine had little to do with his country's success in the respective tournaments.
Per Goal, he said: "Is he alright in the head? And if I was Vinicius, I would have responded with: ‘Messi won that World Cup for you, you had nothing to do with it."
Prestianni and Vinicius Jr Related
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Sneijder then went on to pour additional fuel on the fire. Noting that Otamendi was making comments to a player for one of the most successful teams in football history, he asked: "Why is he doing this to a Real Madrid player?
"Does he have any idea how many Champions League titles Vinicius has won? And he is showing him trophies?"
Otamendi and Vinicius will renew their war of words next week in the second leg of the play-off match. Benfica travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday 25th February, where they will hope to overcome a one-goal deficit.