Álvaro Arbeloa stated that Real Madrid will 'ride together and die together' after Vinicius Jr reportedly faced racist abuse during their Champions League play-off victory. The Brazilian scored the only goal and was booked for his celebration before Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni allegedly called him a monkey, according to Kylian Mbappé.
Play was paused for ten minutes at the Estádio da Luz after Vini Jr reported the incident. Arbeloa emphasized 'zero tolerance for racism' and expressed his belief in Vini Jr's account, stating 'he has always been a fighter.' Benfica's Prestianni denied the allegations, claiming the Real Madrid forward 'misunderstood what he thought he heard.'