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Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa says winger Vinicius Júnior has put the unsettling events from the first leg against Benfica behind him and is ready to start in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League playoff second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Brazilian scored the decisive goal in the first leg in Lisbon, giving Real a 1‑0 lead in the tie, but the match was overshadowed by a terrible racial abuse incident after his celebration, which led to a temporary stoppage of play under FIFA’s anti‑racism protocols.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni has since been provisionally suspended by UEFA while the incident is investigated.
Speaking at his pre‑match press conference today, Arbeloa insisted that Vinicius is “doing very well, he’s really eager. He’s very motivated for this type of match. He has a lot of character, he’s a leader. We need him to have another great game tomorrow.”
“He has always shown a lot of courage and character. Anyone in his situation. I don’t know how I would react. He has always been brave, that has always been his response and it always will be, because he is a fighter. And tomorrow he will go out and fight. To prove that he is one of the best footballers on the planet,” Arbeloa said.
NO SE GUARDA NADA 😳🎙⚪️
Álvaro Arbeloa, técnico del Real Madrid, habló de varios temas en la previa al juego contra el Benfica en Champions.
💬”Vinicius es un luchador. Es una gran oportunidad para la UEFA de marcar un antes y un después en la lucha contra el racismo”.
💬”No… pic.twitter.com/UuzRjTIn1d
— Nuestro Diario (@NuestroDiario) February 24, 2026
Arbeloa also publicly backed UEFA’s decision to take action and move beyond symbolic gestures. “I said it and I’ll say it again: that’s the most important thing. Nothing justifies an act of racism,” he said. The Madrid coach welcomed the provisional ban imposed on Prestianni and encouraged stronger enforcement against discriminatory conduct in football.
He acknowledged that Benfica will still field a strong side, despite the absence of both Prestianni and head coach José Mourinho, who was banned after protesting refereeing decisions in the first leg. Arbeloa said he expects a tough challenge and is expecting Real to produce a complete performance as they look to secure progression to the round of 16.
Heading into the second leg, the Real Madrid locker room is totally united. Big names like Kylian Mbappé, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Brahim Díaz have all made it public that they’ve got Vinícius’s back.
