Carragher Makes Liverpool and Luis Suarez Admission After Vinicius Jr Racism Row

In the wake of Real Madrid's 1-0 Champions League victory over Benfica, a racism controversy involving Vinicius Jr has drawn sharp criticism, with Jamie Carragher defending the forward while referencing Liverpool's past handling of Luis Suarez's racism incident[1][2][5].

During the knockout play-off first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius scored a stunning individual goal five minutes into the second half, celebrating provocatively in front of Benfica fans. He then reported alleged racist abuse from Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni to the referee, prompting a 10-minute stoppage per UEFA protocols. Prestianni denies the claims, pulling his shirt over his mouth during confrontation, which Benfica dismissed as a "defamation campaign" while posting footage on X. UEFA has appointed an inspector to probe discriminatory behavior, with potential 10-match suspensions for guilty parties[1][2][3].

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho criticized Vinicius' celebration, suggesting it incited the crowd and players, and told the Brazilian during the break that Benfica—home to black legend Eusebio—is not racist. Carragher, on CBS, slammed Mourinho as hypocritical, recalling his own inflammatory celebrations like running down the touchline at Old Trafford or silencing Liverpool fans in a cup final. "Anyone can celebrate how they like. You shouldn't get racially abused no matter what," Carragher asserted, adding Vinicius was "more than entitled" after such a huge goal[1][3][6].

Other pundits echoed support: Clarence Seedorf stressed no justification for abuse amid Vinicius' ongoing LaLiga racism struggles, while Wesley Sneijder called Prestianni's alleged monkey chant a "scandal" and urged him to "be a man" instead of hiding[3]. Kylian Mbappe confirmed hearing the remarks[2].

Carragher tied this to Liverpool's history, noting Patrice Evra recently received an apology letter from CEO Peter Moore for the 2011 Suarez racism case against Evra, where Suarez was banned eight matches. Carragher had personally apologized on Sky Sports in 2019, highlighting the club's evolving stance[5].

The incident underscores persistent racism in football, with Vinicius again at the center, as UEFA investigates[1][2].

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