Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has become the latest person to weigh in on the alleged racist incident which took place between Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius Junior. UEFA are investigating the Benfica man following strong allegations made against him during Real Madrid’s Champions League playoff win in Portugal.
In an accusation since backed up by Kylian Mbappe, Prestianni is said to have racially abused the Brazilian winger. The 20-year-old, however, has always denied this but instead now claims that he used a homophobic insult.
A number of footballing figures have spoken about the incident, with Benfica boss Jose Mourinho widely criticised for suggesting that Vinicius should not have riled up the home team after scoring his goal. PSG manager Enrique has now also spoken out on the matter.
Luis Enrique Plays Down Alleged Racist Incident With Vinicius Junior
Enrique left many disappointed as he looked to play down the importance of the alleged racist incident, instead sitting on the fence with his comments. He said:
“What can I say about this topic? It’s nothing important.”
Unsurprisingly, his comments caused a big stir online. BBC Sport journalist Ojora Babatunde spoke out on social media, saying: “Racism in football has remained a recurring scourge, not only because of those who perpetrate it, but because personalities like Luis Enrique, whose team relies on the spine of black players, has refused to use his voice to fight against it.”
He added: “Saying the incident between Vinicius and Gianluca Prestianni isn’t important is a big disappointment. Pathetic!!!”
His comments come in contrast to fellow former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who highlighted the importance of speaking out against racism. He said:
“There’s a lot of work to do; it’s in society, it’s not just in football. Racism is everywhere and if you pretend racism is just for the colour of skin, it’s how you behave – that’s racism. It’s how you pretend you are better than others just for many reasons.”
Gianni Infantino Shares Statement on Vinicius Jr and Gianluca Prestianni Incident
The FIFA president has made his feelings clear.
Luis Enrique Also Showed Lack of Support for Neymar
Interestingly enough, it’s not the first time Enrique has appeared unwilling to engage in the racism debate. Following his latest take on the Vinicius Jr situation, prior comments from 2016 have reemerged on social media.
It seems he was just as non-committal when his own player, Neymar, suffered abuse. While playing for Barcelona, the winger was subjected to allegedly racist chants against local rivals Espanyol.
Teammate Andres Iniesta confirmed the claims, having heard racist chanting “in one corner, in the first half, from one supporter.” Gerard Pique showed support for the Brazilian, calling for sanctions for individuals involved if they could be identified.
Enrique, however, did little publicly to protect Neymar. When asked for his views on the chants coming from the crowd, the Blaugrana coach offered up a feeble:
“I am only interested in the game of football. If I talk about something, I get criticised. If not, I get criticised too.”
While many, like the aforementioned Mbappe and Guardiola, have spoken out in support of Vinicius Jr, it seems as though men such as Mourinho and Enrique are still unable or unwilling to grasp the importance of condemning potential racist behaviour when it occurs on the football pitch.
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