Benfica has published a statement following UEFA's announcement that they will launch an investigation into the match against Real Madrid on Tuesday night, regarding the allegations by Vinícius Jr. that the player Gianluca Prestianni called the Brazilian player "monkey".
If found guilty of discriminatory behaviour, Prestianni could face a ten-match suspension, although it will be almost impossible to prove what Prestianni called Vinícius as he covered his mouth with his shirt. In the meantime, Benfica said that they will "cooperate fully with UEFA's requests and maintain its support for Prestianni's version of the events, whose conduct within the club has always been guided by respect for opponents, institutions, and the principles that define Benfica's identity."
In the statement, Benfica echoed manager Mourinho's words form last night, using Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, Benfica's top goalscorer of all-time, in their argument to defend that the club isn't racist: "The club reaffirms, clearly and unequivocally, its historic and unwavering commitment to upholding the values of equality, respect, and inclusion, which correspond to the core values of its founding and of which Eusébio is the greatest symbol".
On Tuesday night, Mourinho said that "when he (Vinícius) was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black" (even though it has never been questioned by any Real Madrid player or anyone that Benfica or their fans are racist, with Prestianni being the only accused, as Mbappé explained: "there are 70,000 people who haven't done nothing, who only came here to support their team").
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, who died in 2014 at the age of 71, is Benfica's most iconic player, winner of Ballon d'Or in 1965, winner of the European Cup in 1962, eleven league titles in Portugal as well as countless collective and individual titles in his career.