Real Madrid Condemns Fan for Alleged Nazi Salute

Real Madrid condemned a fan for allegedly performing a Nazi salute during the Champions League match against Benfica on Wednesday. The incident occurred prior to kickoff at the Bernabeu, where the fan was identified by security staff and ejected from the 83,000-seat stadium.

Following the match, which Real Madrid won 3-1 on aggregate to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League, the club requested its disciplinary committee to initiate immediate expulsion procedures against the fan. Real Madrid expressed that such gestures incite violence and hatred in sports and society.

This incident follows a previous occurrence where Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. faced racial abuse from Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during the first leg in Lisbon. Vinicius scored the winning goal in the Madrid match and received support from fans, who displayed a banner stating "No Racism" at the kickoff.

Prestianni has been provisionally banned from matches pending a full UEFA investigation.