Footballers who conceal what they’re saying on the pitch should be banned, claims Stan Collymore.
The former Liverpool, Newcastle and England striker took to X to have his say after the grim scenes on Tuesday night in Portugal, when Real Madrid star accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of racially insulting him.
Prestianni had pulled his shirt over his mouth when speaking to Vinicius Jr, meaning TV cameras could not try to identify what was said.
On X, Collymore wrote: ‘The covering of the mouth with a hand or shirt should be banned from pro football.
‘If players can’t converse ( team mates or opposition) within the laws and spirit of the game then they should be sanctioned.
‘Nobody cares that one player tells another to f*** off or two opposition players walking off tell each other there was a s*** decision or are they meeting up in town later. But hiding homophobic, racist, religious or any other sanctionable communication isn’t acceptable at all.
‘A modern trend which is as much about molly coddling men babies as much as hiding anything that anyone would be interested in.
Time to outlaw it @FIFA, if you need to hide what you’re saying then you shouldn’t be saying it. Plenty of time in the tunnel or dressing room or players lounge.’
UEFA has confirmed it will investigate ‘allegations of discriminatory behaviour’ after claims of racist abuse aimed at Vinicius, which saw Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica halted for 10 minutes.
The Brazilian has claimed that the Portuguese side’s Argentinian midfielder Prestianni racially abused him shortly after he had scored the only goal of the play-off first leg on 50 minutes amid explosive scenes in Lisbon.
Prestianni, 20, said his opponent ‘misinterpreted what he thinks he heard’, while Kylian Mbappe claimed Prestianni had called his teammate a ‘monkey’ five times.
‘A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Play-off between Club Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026,’ a UEFA statement read.
‘Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.’
In a tinderbox evening at the Estadio de Luz, where play was halted for 10 minutes after referee Francois Letexier made a crossed arms gesture to signal reported racial abuse, Jose Mourinho and a member of his Benfica staff were also shown a red card.
Vinicius, who has since branded racists as ‘cowards’ in a statement, had just scored the opening – and ultimately winning – goal of the game before being booked by referee Letexier for his dancing celebration which seemingly antagonised the home crowd.
When walking back to the centre circle with his team-mates, the 25-year-old was incensed by something said allegedly to him by Argentinian Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, who held his shirt over his mouth while speaking to the Madrid star after his goal.
Vinicius alleges he was called a ‘monkey’, but midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni told reporters the Benfica player had instead claimed to have used a homophobic slur.
While Alexander-Arnold said the scenes were ‘disgusting’ post-match, Mourinho claimed Vinicius had incited his players by celebrating and that the Brazilian ‘was not just happy to score that astonishing goal’.
‘I believe (Vinicius incited the players and the crowd),’ Mourinho said in a post-match interview with Amazon Prime Video.
‘The words that Prestianni exchanged with Vinicius, I want to stay independent. I don’t want to say I believe in Prestianni, I don’t believe in Vinicius, because they told me two completely different things. I want to be independent and I don’t comment about it’
‘I told (Vinicius) exactly that. I said ‘when you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back’ and when he was arguing about racism, I told him that the biggest person in the history of this club (Eusebio) was black.
‘The last thing this club is, is racist. So if, in his mind, it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.’
Confronted with the fact that Vinicius had been the victim of racial abuse in the past, Mourinho then said: ‘There is something wrong because this happens in every stadium. In a stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens – always.’
Prestianni himself has now given his version of events. Taking to Instagram, the 20-year-old said: ‘I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to player Vinícius Junior, 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.’
Later, on X, Prestianni questioned what he felt was a subdued initial reaction from Vinicius’s team-mates, given the gravity of the accusation levelled against him. He also explained why he raised his shirt over his mouth.
‘If they keep saying that SUPPOSEDLY I made a racist comment to Vinicius Junior, then why didn’t any of them react?’ he asked. ‘Accusing someone of something serious isn’t right, and even less so when it’s not true.
‘And everyone pointing fingers at me for covering up with my shirt when they know that all soccer players cover their mouths to talk. Don’t try to make up more.’
The Madrid star released his own statement on Tuesday night, in which he branded racists as being ‘above all, cowards’.
‘They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are,’ Vinicius’s statement began.
‘But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them.
‘Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why.
‘On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose.
‘I don’t like to appear in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary’.
The Brazilian Football Federation has released a statement condemning ‘yet another act of racism’ Vinicius has allegedly received.
‘Racism is a crime. It is unacceptable. It cannot exist in football or anywhere else,’ they said.
‘Vini, you are not alone. Your decision to activate the protocol is an example of courage and dignity.
‘We are proud of you. ‘We will remain steadfast in the fight against all forms of discrimination. We stand by your side. Always’.
