Vinicius scored both home and away against Benfica, and each time there was a special celebration that defied the hate
The dance continues. That was the message Vinicius Junior sent to his fans on Instagram after Real Madrid’s victory over Benfica, a game in which Vinicius scored an 80th-minute goal that sealed Madrid’s triumph and ended Benfica’s hopes of an upset.
There was a sense that this was coming, that there was a moment, midway through the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu, when the noise would stop sounding like noise, when the spotlight would turn once again on Vinicius.
This was not just a European knockout tie. It was in the beginning, but no longer after Gianluca Prestianni allegedly uttered racist abuse toward Vinicius. The Argentine claims it was a homophobic rather than racist abuse, but his act of covering his mouth with his shirt before he threw the insult suggests that, whatever it was he said, he knew it was ugly.
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Football has a way of pretending it is self-contained. Ninety minutes, goals scored, players exchange shirts. But this week grew beyond that.
Already, before the game, Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa warned Uefa that it had an opportunity to send a message that it takes the fight against racism seriously.
“We have a great opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism,” Arbeloa said. “Uefa, which has always been a champion of this fight against racism, has the opportunity to do more than just leave it as a slogan, or a nice banner before matches. And let’s hope – or rather, I hope – that they seize this opportunity.”
At the start at the Bernabeu, Madrid fans unfurled a tifo: No Al Racismo. No to racism. Both teams traded blows in the early stages, Aurelien Tchouameni’s emphatic strike from the edge of the box cancelling out Rafa Silva’s close-range finish. And for the rest of the game the two sides seemed to hang in, Benfica clutching at their chance to cause an upset, Madrid refusing an ignominious exit in front of their home fans.
And so with the clock ticking away and Benfica ramping up the pressure, Vinicius scored – of course he scored – and it felt preordained.
Here was a man whose goal in the first leg caused an entire stadium to roar in anger. Vinicius had run and danced at the corner flag. The Benfica support did not like it. And then he was shown a yellow card.
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The racist abuse that followed after was unjustifiable. The Brazilian has now suffered a streak of such abuse across stadiums in Spain and Portugal. But he has fought on, now the single greatest representative of the fight against racism in football. He was “very chilled” and “very relaxed” in training ahead of the game, said teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold. His goal was also similar. Running through on the inside left, he remained a picture of composure, opening up his body and hitting a crisp, low shot with virtually no backlift, Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin unable to reach it.
And then he ran to the corner flag and danced again, a carbon copy of the first-leg routine. “There are things more important than football,” said teammate Tchouameni. “This was a victory for everyone who stands against racism.” Arbeloa was proud of his forward. “He deserves it,” the manager said, and it was difficult to disagree.
Thibaut Courtois, watching from behind it all, framed the dancing as a sign of the team’s health. If Vinicius is dancing, the Belgian said, Madrid are scoring.
The fight against racism will continue, and all those who are part of the fight will cherish moments like these, when a player responds on the pitch. Vinicius scoring is Vinicius winning, mocking the raging offenders. The dance continues.
