Trent Alexander-Arnold slammed alleged racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior as “a disgrace for football” as the incident marred Real Madrid’s win over Benfica in the Champions League.
Vinicius had scored what proved to be the winner in a chaotic clash at the Estadio da Luz, and the fall-out from his strike and celebration was the big talking point from the match.
The forward had whipped up the home support, taunting them with a dance and a fist pump following his 50th-minute curler, and the Benfica fans responded by throwing missiles at the Brazilian.
It led to a melee on the pitch, which eventually resulted in Vinicius running over to referee Francois Letexier, accusing Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni of racist abuse.
Letexier crossed his arms to signal an alleged racial slur, while Vinicius stormed off the pitch and slumped on the visiting bench as his team-mates protested on his behalf.
A member of the Madrid coaching staff was sent off in the chaos, which lasted 10 minutes.
On 60 minutes, the match was finally restarted, but Vinicius was jeered by the Benfica fans every time he touched the ball.
The home supporters continued to launch items at the Brazilian whenever he came near them.
"It's disgusting,” Alexander-Arnold said of the alleged abuse afterwards.
“What's happened tonight is a disgrace for football.
“It's ruined the night for the team.
“[What happens next] is out of my hands. Hopefully there is justice involved. There is no place for it in football or society."
In a statement in Portuguese on Instagram, shared by Benfica on social media, Prestianni denied making racist comments.
He wrote: "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard.
"I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players."
