– Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa strongly defended his player Vinicius Junior following the racist incident that took place during the team’s match against Benfica, stressing that what happened was completely unacceptable and could not be justified in any way.
Arbeloa stressed that he would not allow the victim to be placed in the position of the accused or described as provocative, in a clear response to José Mourinho’s statements, explaining that racism has nothing to do with the way one celebrates or plays, but is unacceptable behaviour that must be dealt with firmly.
The coach explained that Vinicius was sad and angry after the incident, but showed great strength of character when he decided to continue the match, adding that the decision was up to the player, and if he had chosen to leave the pitch, the whole team would have withdrawn in solidarity with him.
