Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian has reacted to Kate Scott’s powerful message in light of the alleged racist attack on Vini Jr. The first leg of the Champions League showdown between Real Madrid and Benfica on Tuesday, February 17, took a nasty turn.
Vini Jr. scored the only goal of the match to help Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0. However, he alleged that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni made racially charged remarks towards him during the match. UEFA has launched an investigation into the matter after an official complaint was lodged.
Noted presenter Kate Scott, who co-hosts the Champions League coverage on CBS Sports, made an powerful statement on the dark reality of racism faced by athletes of color on the latest episode of her show. She reiterated how racism remains deeply embedded in football, and regardless of one’s opinion on Vini Jr, the matter should be treated with utmost seriousness.
“Well, I guess today is a new day in football, but with the same old racist problems, And whilst we do want to focus on the games ahead today because the game is what we love, yesterday does still linger. And whether or not you like Vini Junior, that shouldn’t shape your opinion on this incident and which team you support, it shouldn’t affect which side of the story that you fall on,” Scott said.
“This isn’t Real Madrid versus Benfica. It is right versus wrong. Vini Junior and Kylian Mbappe said that there was repeated racial abuse. Gianluca Prestiani said they misheard.But he covered his mouth to hide what he said from the cameras, and hopefully, we can all agree that if what you are saying on a football pitch is shameful enough to have to hide it from the public, then you’re wrong,” Scott continued.
Watch the full video here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DU6hqGLktz_/
Ohanian agreed with everything Scott said, and took to Instagram to further spread Scott’s powerful message.
This isn’t the first time Ohanian has come out in support of Vini Jr. He also sided with the Real Madrid star when he was previously subjected to racist comments in 2023 by a few fans.
Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Showed His Support To Vini Jr. After His Attackers Were Convicted
Nearly three years ago, Vini Jr. was subject to a vile racist attack. Three unruly fans abused him during a match between Real Madrid and Valencia. The fans were found guilty a year later and were handed an eight-month prison sentence. They were also barred from entering stadiums for the next two years.
Vini Jr. felt proud that he didn’t back down and pursued the matter to send a message to those who still propagated racism. He took to social media to express his thoughts on the conviction of his attackers, and called himself a “tormentor of racists”.
Many asked me to ignore it, many others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just “play football”. But, as I’ve always said, I’m not a victim of racism. I am a tormentor of racists. This first criminal conviction in the history of Spain is not for me. It’s for all black people. May other racists be afraid, ashamed and hide in the shadows. Otherwise, I’ll be here to collect. Thank you to La Liga and Real Madrid for helping with this historic conviction. More to come…” Vinicius Junior wrote on X.
Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, reposted Vini Jr.’s message on his own X (formerly Twitter) profile. He also quoted the post with the “tormentor of racists” part.
Ohanian, who’s married to tennis icon Serena Williams, is no stranger to the grim realities of racism. Williams endured her fair share of unwarranted criticism on account of her race. Ohanian has been a pillar of support for her since they got together, and he has often amplified voices from the marginalized community.
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