'I've been disappointed with my club' — Benfica, the team with the eyes of the world on it

Lisbon, 18 February — On a balmy winter evening at Estadio da Luz, Benfica’s 4-0 stroll past basement side AVS should have felt like a respite. Instead, it served as the calm before a storm that shows no sign of abating.

Four days earlier the same stadium had welcomed a record 66,387 spectators for the Champions League knockout-round play-off against Real Madrid. By the final whistle, the only statistic that mattered was the allegation levelled by Vinícius Júnior: that 20-year-old Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni repeatedly called him “a monkey”. Prestianni denies the claim; UEFA’s investigation is ongoing.

What followed has plunged one of Europe’s most storied clubs into a reputational crisis. Benfica’s official social-media channel posted a video insisting the Madrid players could not have heard any slur “given the distance”, a stance that drew immediate condemnation. “The club regrets the defamation campaign of which the player has been a victim,” the accompanying statement added.

Manager José Mourinho’s post-match remarks only intensified the backlash. Citing Eusébio’s legacy as evidence of the club’s anti-racist credentials, Mourinho appeared to question Vinícius’s goal celebration rather than address the core complaint. Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany called the comments “unacceptable”; World Cup winner Lilian Thuram labelled them “small-minded”; FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed shock.

Inside Portugal, the reaction has been equally scathing. Record’s Thursday front page screamed “UNDER SIEGE”; A Bola referenced the “worldwide reaction”. Even club icon Luisão reportedly said he was “ashamed” by the “racist act”.

Against AVS, Prestianni was absent through suspension, and the stands offered no visible support for the youngster. The loudest cheer of the night came when 18-year-old Black striker Anísio Cabral, already a fan favourite, entered the fray late on — a moment that underlined the contradictions now enveloping the club.

“I’ve been disappointed with my club,” lifelong supporter Ricardo Silva told The Athletic beneath Eusébio’s statue, where fans traditionally gather before kick-off. “A very serious allegation was made and it wasn’t given enough respect… Mourinho has disrespected the name of Benfica and of Eusébio.”

David Falcão, who runs the influential Coluna Vermelha fan account, believes whoever authorised the club’s social-media posts “should be dismissed”, though he feels Mourinho’s words were partially misinterpreted. “My understanding is that he chose to remain neutral,” Falcão said.

Neutral or not, Mourinho refused to elaborate after Saturday’s win. “I don’t want to comment,” he said when asked about Vinícius, before a press officer cited UEFA’s ongoing probe. “It has been difficult for everyone… but today they and I were able to be professional.”

Professionalism will be scrutinised again on Wednesday when Benfica walk into the Bernabéu for the second leg, trailing 3-1 on aggregate and carrying a heavier burden still: the gaze of a global audience waiting to see whether any lessons have been learned from a week that has left Portuguese football’s biggest name facing questions far beyond the scoreboard.