Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has publicly addressed the controversy surrounding the alleged racist insult by Gianluca Prestianni toward Vinícius Júnior during the Champions League playoff between Real Madrid and Benfica, a match decided by a goal from the Brazilian winger.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Bundesliga clash against Albert Riera’s Frankfurt, Kompany described the situation as complex and urged observers to analyze each element separately. He pointed to three distinct dimensions: what happened on the pitch, what occurred in the stands and what unfolded after the final whistle. According to the Belgian manager, each part of the story requires independent assessment rather than emotional conclusions.

Kompany openly defended Vinícius’ reaction during the match, stating that the Brazilian’s emotional response could not have been fabricated. In his view, there was no advantage for the Real Madrid forward in escalating the matter to the referee unless he genuinely felt something serious had occurred. He emphasized that the reaction appeared authentic and instinctive.

The Bayern coach also referenced Kylian Mbappé, noting that the French forward, usually diplomatic in public statements, spoke clearly about what he had seen and heard. Kompany further mentioned images from the stadium showing offensive gestures and highlighted the Benfica player allegedly concealing his words behind his shirt during the exchange.

However, Kompany considered the aftermath of the game the most troubling aspect. He criticized remarks made by José Mourinho, suggesting that attacking Vinícius’ character and referencing his style of celebration to undermine his claims was, in his opinion, a leadership mistake. He also questioned the argument that Benfica could not be linked to racism because their greatest legend was Eusébio, pointing out the historical struggles Black players endured in past decades.

Despite his criticism, Kompany sought to strike a balanced tone. He clarified that he does not wish to position himself within opposing camps and acknowledged Mourinho’s strong reputation among former players. While maintaining that a mistake had been made, he expressed hope that such incidents would not be repeated and that all parties could move forward constructively.

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