Real Madrid victory is for everyone who is against racism: Aurelien Tchouameni

MADRID – Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said his team’s 2-1 win against Benfica on Feb 25 to reach the Champions League last 16 was “a victory for everyone who is against racism”.

The Frenchman was referring to the first leg of the knockout play-off tie, which Real won 1-0 on Feb 17 and was marred by alleged racial abuse aimed at Vinicius Jr by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.

“We didn’t play our best match of the season, that’s for sure. But I think there are things more important than this match, and more important than football,” Tchouameni told reporters.

Brazilian Vinicius scored Real’s second goal at the Santiago Bernabeu and Tchouameni said the result was a “victory for everyone who is against racism”. Tchouameni had earlier equalised two minutes after Rafa Silva gave Benfica a 14th-minute lead.

Argentinian Prestianni was provisionally suspended by UEFA for the game while the incident is under investigation and Benfica had an appeal against his ban rejected earlier on Feb 25.

“The dance continues,” wrote Vinicius on social media afterwards, along with a photo of a big banner hung at the Bernabeu reading “no to racism”.

Real said they had thrown out one of their own supporters before the game for performing a Nazi salute.

“This (club) member was identified by the club’s security staff moments after appearing on the (television) broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium,” said Real in a statement.

“Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society.”

Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he was happy when Vinicius found the net. “(I reacted) with joy obviously, for the great goal he scored, and because it was him, he deserves it,” said the Spaniard.

“Without (Kylian) Mbappe, I think it’s even more important and I am very happy for him.”

Before the game, Arbeloa said French superstar Mbappe would spend some time out as he recovers from a knee problem.

“After yesterday’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 per cent, and to come back in top shape, confident and without any discomfort for everything that’s coming, which is obviously very important,” Arbeloa told reporters after the match.

Asked if it was discomfort or an injury, he added: “I think we can call it an injury, but it seems, and I hope, that it’s not a very serious injury, nothing major, and that he’ll be able to come back in a few days or weeks.”

Real will face either Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City in the last 16.

In the early game on Feb 25, Serbian midfielder Lazar Samardzic’s last-gasp penalty earned Atalanta a 4-1 victory at home to Borussia Dortmund to give them a 4-3 aggregate triumph.

Algerian centre-back Ramy Bensebaini gave away the penalty deep into time added on after catching Nikola Krstovic in the face with a high boot.

It earned him a second yellow card on a nightmare evening in which he inadvertently contributed to Atalanta’s first two goals as well. Fellow centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck was also dismissed late on.

The Italian side had wiped out their 2-0 first-leg deficit by half-time thanks to goals by striker Gianluca Scamacca and veteran wing-back Davide Zappacosta, both aided by Bensebaini deviations.

“When you concede four goals in the play-offs, it becomes difficult to advance,” said Dortmund captain Emre Can.

“With so many individual errors, it’s hard... We also had several clear-cut chances that we didn’t convert.”

Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic headed home from inside the six-yard box to give the Italians the aggregate lead but Karim Adeyemi’s brilliant individual goal had looked set to send the game into extra time. Then Samardzic intervened.

“Everyone had written us off, but this match showed once again how strong this group is,” said man-of-the-match Zappacosta. “We always believe and we never give up.

“Being the underdog gives you extra motivation. You try to go beyond your limits to turn things around, and we knew we could do it.”

Atalanta, the 2024 Europa League winners, will face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the last 16. AFP, REUTERS