During the Champions League tie between Benfica and Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior accused Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him. The incident has sparked a huge debate in the footballing world.
Fellow Los Blancos teammate Kylian Mbappe immediately backed up Vinicius, alleging that he heard Prestianni call the Brazilian a 'monkey' on multiple occasions. Initially following Uefa protocol, they even walked off the pitch as the game was paused, before play eventually restarted after a 10-minute delay.
Thierry Henry was among those praised for his take on the situation, while Benfica boss Jose Mourinho drew criticism for his comments on the matter. Now, Jose Luis Chilavert, a retired Paraguayan goalkeeper who played in Spain for Real Zaragoza, has given his thoughts on the matter.
Jose Luis Chilavert Sides With Prestianni Over Vinicius Incident
Jose Luis Chilavert
Jose Luis Chilavert
Chilavert is best-known for being a goalscoring goalkeeper, with 67 strikes across his career; only Rogerio Ceni has netted more (131 goals) while playing between the sticks. The Paraguayan, however, has made a name for himself in retirement for some rather unsavoury takes.
Having already criticised Vinicius Jr in the past, calling him a homophobic slur in 2024 and saying "football is for men" after the player broke down in tears over racial abuse, Chilavert has once again targetted the Brazilian.
As per Marca, the 60-year-old former footballer defended the Argentine Prestianni in controversial statements he made on Radio Rivadavia. He said:
"I sympathise with Prestianni because Vinicius is the first to insult everyone. If you look at the camera, before he says 'cagon' [coward]. The first insult came from the black-skinned player."
The player could get a 10-game ban if found guilty. According to Chilavert, though, a Uefa sanction Prestianni "would lead to the gay, lesbian and company community being the example to follow. And no, football is a rectangle where men play and where we used to say everything to each other. Since they put the microphone and the video is gay."
He added: "The problem is very deep: the world we live in today has little memory. There was a match between Brazil and Spain in which a Netflix camera was filming Vinicius and he said crying that he would like a football in which black people can live better. He himself was discriminating. Does he want white people to live badly?" asked the Paraguayan, who then claimed that all racist incidents in football "are born in Europe."
Prestianni and Vinicius Jr Related
Rio Ferdinand Shares Video of Benfica Fans Making Racist Gestures Amid Vinicius Claims
Rio Ferdinand has shared a video of Benfica fans making racist gestures after Vinicius claimed he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni.
kylian mbappe
Chilavert then targeted Mbappe, after the Frenchman also claimed to have heard racist comments. He said: "What can he say? Mbappe talks about values and all that, but he lives with a transvestite. That's not normal. Everyone can do what they want with their life, but it's not normal for a man to live with a transvestite. The best thing you can have next to you is a woman."
Understandably, when the comments emerged, fans online we absolutely furious. One fan summed it up best, writing: "This is beyond disgusting. There’s no defending what José Luis Chilavert said. Racist language, homophobic comments, and dragging identity into football debates is completely unacceptable."
Another wrote: "Statements like this show why education and accountability in sports are crucial." While a third said, "This is disturbing on so many levels."