Real Madrid investigating a fan for alleged Nazi salute before Champions League match
Fan was identified and ejected from Bernabeu stadium
Club initiated expulsion proceedings and condemned the gesture
Incident comes amid ongoing racial abuse issues in European football
📖 Full Retelling
Spanish football giants Real Madrid have launched an investigation after a supporter allegedly performed a Nazi salute before their Champions League match against Benfica at the Bernabeu stadium on Wednesday, with the club condemning the gesture as an expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society. The incident occurred as television cameras panned around the 83,000-seater stadium prior to kick-off, with security staff quickly identifying and ejecting the fan responsible. Real Madrid went on to defeat Portuguese side Benfica 2-1 in the second leg of their knockout round play-off tie, progressing 3-1 on aggregate to the last 16 of the Champions League. In a formal statement, the Spanish club announced they have requested their disciplinary committee 'to initiate an immediate expulsion procedure' for the supporter, emphasizing their zero-tolerance policy toward discriminatory behavior. The match took place amid heightened tensions regarding racial discrimination in football, following allegations by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr that he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during the first leg in Lisbon. The Brazilian received strong support from home fans, with a 'no to racism' banner displayed in the stands, and his teammate Aurelien Tchouameni dedicated the victory to everyone who stands against racism.
# UEFA Champions League
The **UEFA Champions League** (UCL) is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Contested by top-division European clubs, it is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious c...
Vinícius José Paixão de Oliveira Júnior (Brazilian Portuguese: [viˈni.sjuz ʒoˈzɛ pajˈʃɐ̃w̃ dʒi oliˈvej.ɾɐ ˈʒu.njoʁ]; born 12 July 2000), commonly known as Vinícius Júnior or Vini Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazil national t...
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (Spanish pronunciation: [reˈal maˈðɾið ˈkluβ ðe ˈfuðβol] ), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional association football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, th...
The Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, or the Sieg Heil salute, is a gesture that was used as a greeting in Nazi Germany. The salute is performed by raising and extending the right arm forward at an upward angle with a straightened hand, fingers together, and palm facing downward. The sal...
Real Madrid condemn fan for alleged Nazi salute By Lorraine McKenna BBC Sport Journalist Published 1 hour ago Real Madrid have launched an investigation after a supporter allegedly performed a Nazi salute before the club's Champions League win against Benfica on Wednesday. Prior to the kick-off at the Bernabeu, a fan appeared to make the fascist gesture as the television cameras panned around the 83,000-seater stadium. The fan was identified by security staff moments later and ejected from the ground. Real beat Portuguese side Benfica 2-1 in the second leg of their knockout round play-off tie to progress 3-1 on aggregate to the last 16 of the Champions League. In a statement, the Spanish club said they have asked its disciplinary committee "to initiate an immediate expulsion procedure" for the fan. "Real Madrid condemns this type of gesture and expression that incites violence and hatred in sports and society," it added. Real Madrid win 'for everyone who stands against racism' Published 11 hours ago 'He was always going to score' - Real beat Benfica to reach last 16 Published 13 hours ago The incident comes after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr alleged he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during the first leg in Lisbon. The 25-year-old Brazilian, who scored the only goal of the game, informed the referee he had been racially abused by Prestianni and the game was halted for 10 minutes after he and his Madrid team-mates left the pitch. Argentine winger Prestianni was subsequently handed a provisional one-match ban and missed the second leg after Uefa rejected Benfica's appeal against his suspension . He could still face further punishment, pending the result of a full Uefa investigation. Vinicius, who scored Madrid's winner on 80 minutes, received support by the home fans as a banner with the words "no to racism" in Spanish was displayed in the stands before kick-off. His team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni also said the win was "for everyone who stands a...
