Benfica and its head coach, José Mourinho, have come under fire following their response to an allegation of racism made by Brazilian player Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid against Argentine player Giangluca Prestianni from the Portuguese club. Vinicius accused Prestianni of using racial slurs, calling him 'mono' and 'macaco' (monkey in Spanish), shortly after he scored the winning goal for Real Madrid in a Champions League match on Tuesday night at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. The match was momentarily halted by referee François Letexier due to the incident.

In the aftermath of the allegations, Mourinho suggested that Vinicius's goal celebration—a dance near the Benfica corner flag—might have sparked the negative reactions from the opposing team. He remarked, "When you score a goal like that, it won't warm the hearts of the home fans." This comment has been seen as dismissive of the serious nature of the accusations and has contributed to the backlash against both Mourinho and the club for not adequately supporting Vinicius.

The Benfica club released statements that appeared to defend Prestianni while failing to acknowledge the gravity of the accusations against him. The incident has sparked a wider conversation about racism in football, particularly in relation to how clubs and management respond to such serious allegations, further adding to the ongoing discourse about racial equality in sports, especially in Brazilian football, where Vinicius has been vocal in addressing racism both on and off the field.