The football world is buzzing with two major stories. Real Madrid has submitted evidence to UEFA regarding alleged racist insults directed at Vinícius Júnior during the match against Benfica Lisbon. Meanwhile, in France, crisis-stricken Olympique de Marseille has officially presented Habib Beye as its new head coach. Beye replaces Roberto De Zerbi and faces the difficult task of calming fan unrest and returning the team to the top of the league.
Tuesday's Champions League match between Benfica Lisbon and Real Madrid ended under the shadow of a serious scandal. The star of "Los Blancos," Vinícius Júnior, accused the home team's player, Gianluca Prestianni, of directing racist slurs at him. The incident allegedly occurred just after the Brazilian scored the winning goal for a 1:0 victory. Referee Francois Letexier was forced to halt the match for approximately 10 minutes when the agitated forward reported the matter to the official. UEFA has already launched an official investigation, and Real Madrid has provided the federation with a complete set of evidence, including video recordings. The situation is further inflamed by comments from José Mourinho, Benfica's coach, who described the Brazilian's celebration as "stupid" and provocative, drawing sharp criticism from figures like Lilian Thuram. In recent years, combating racism in stadiums has become a priority for world football authorities, exemplified by the three-step protocol allowing referees to definitively halt matches in cases of discriminatory incidents. Simultaneously in France, a key change in sporting leadership occurred. Olympique de Marseille, after a series of disappointing results and the departure of Roberto De Zerbi, announced the appointment of Habib Beye as head coach. The former captain of the Côte d'Azur club takes over the team during a period of deep crisis and growing aggression from fans. In his first speech, Beye declared he does not consider the team "sick," but rather in need of calm and stability. His debut will take place this Friday, February 20, during an away match against Brest. The new coach must face the pressure of returning to the fight for the Champions League, after Marseille fell out of the top three of Ligue 1 in favor of Olympique Lyonnais. 10 matches — minimum suspension for racism under UEFA regulations Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior also spoke out on racism, demanding lifetime stadium and professional bans for those guilty of discrimination. The football community is divided in its assessment of Vinícius's behavior – some experts emphasize that the Brazilian's playing style provokes opponents, while others, like Thuram, categorically reject attempts to shift blame onto the victim of insults. For Habib Beye, the challenge is as much sporting as it is reputational, as Marseille has struggled for years with significant instability, preventing real competition with Paris Saint-Germain. [{