Real Madrid expels person seen giving nazi salute before Benfica match

Real Madrid are moving on to the Top 16 of the Champions League following their 2-1 win over Benfica in the second leg of the playoff, but the club turned their attention to a person in the stands who was caught making a racist gesture towards the camera before the match.

People identified, kicked out of Bernabeu

Following the racial abuse incident that involved Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius Jr. in the first leg of the playoff between Real Madrid and Benfica, things quickly got ugly in the early moments of the broadcast of the return leg at the Bernabeu. A fan was spotted making a nazi salute to cameras, and the club has acted swiftly.

Following the match, the Spanish club made an official statement, explaining they identified the perpetrator and removed him from the match with further punishment to come.

“Real Madrid C.F. announces that it has urgently requested the club’s Disciplinary Committee to initiate immediate expulsion against the member who was caught on television cameras making a Nazi salute in the supporters’ section, moments before the start of the match between Real Madrid and Benfica.”

It wasn’t long after the person making the racist gesture to the cameras that security picked him out and escorted him out of the stadium “This member was located by club security personnel moments after appearing on the broadcast and was immediately expelled from the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.”

The club concluded stating, “Real Madrid condemns these types of gestures and expressions that incite violence and hatred in sport and in society.” This comes just days after Prestianni was accused of lifting his shirt over his mouth and calling Vinicius Jr. a “monkey.” The Argentine was suspended for a least a match after UEFA made a preliminary decision. Prestianni was forced to sit the return leg in the Bernabeu although he did make the trip to Madrid.

Madrid won the tie on a 3-1 aggregate thanks to goals from Aurelian Tchouameni and Vinicius Jr. to advance to the Round of 16. They will now face either Sporting Lisboa or Manchester City pending Friday’s draw.

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