<figure id="attachment_3291004" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3291004" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3291004" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ff82669f-aurelien-tchouameni-x-kylian-mbappe-26022026.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3291004" class="wp-caption-text">Real Madrid&#8217;s Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni react after conceding a goal during the match against Benfica. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
MADRID: Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said his team&#8217;s 2-1 win against Benfica on Wednesday to reach the Champions League last 16 was a victory for &#8220;everyone who is against racism&#8221;.
The Frenchman was referring to the first leg of the play-off tie, which Madrid won 1-0 last week, which was marred by alleged racial abuse aimed at Vinicius Junior by Benfica&#8217;s Gianluca Prestianni.
&#8220;We didn&#8217;t play our best match of the season, that&#8217;s for sure. But I think there are things more important than this match and more important than football,&#8221; Tchouameni told reporters.
Vinicius scored Madrid&#8217;s second goal at the Santiago Bernabeu and Tchouameni said the result was a &#8220;victory for everyone who is against racism&#8221;.
Prestianni was provisionally suspended by Uefa for the game while the incident was under investigation and Benfica had an appeal against his ban rejected earlier Wednesday.
&#8220;The dance continues,&#8221; wrote Vinicius on social media afterwards, along with a photo of a big banner hung at the Bernabeu reading &#8220;no to racism&#8221;.
Real Madrid said they had thrown out one of their own supporters before the game for performing a Nazi salute.
&#8220;This (club) member was identified by the club&#8217;s security staff moments after appearing on the (television) broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium,&#8221; said Madrid in a statement.
&#8220;Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society.&#8221;
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he was happy when Vinicius found the net.
&#8220;(I reacted) with joy obviously for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it,&#8221; said Arbeloa.
&#8220;Without (Kylian) Mbappe I think it&#8217;s even more important and I am very happy for him.&#8221;
Before the game Arbeloa said French superstar Mbappe would spend some time out as he recovers from a knee problem.
&#8220;After yesterday&#8217;s session, we talked with the doctors, I spoke with him, and we felt the best thing was for him to stop, to recover 100%, and to come back in top shape, confident and without any discomfort for everything that&#8217;s coming, which is obviously very important,&#8221; Arbeloa told reporters after the match.
Asked if it was discomfort or an injury, he added: &#8220;I think we can call it an injury, but it seems, and I hope, that it&#8217;s not a very serious injury, nothing major, and that he&#8217;ll be able to come back in a few days or weeks.&#8221;

MatchPoint Times

Real Madrid victory for ‘everyone against racism’, says Tchouameni

The Frenchman was referring to the first leg match, which was overshadowed by alleged abuse aimed at Vinicius Junior.

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