The translation of your sentence into English is: “What is UEFA’s protocol against racism and is it working?”

While Vinicius Jr sat alone on the bench at the Estádio da Luz, tension hung in the air. Tempers were frayed among coaches and players, as the Real Madrid forward, visibly affected, took a sip of water. The Brazilian had reported to referee Francois Letexier that he had been subjected to racial abuse by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, an allegation that the Argentine international vehemently denies. The situation escalated quickly, prompting Letexier to halt the match, raising his arm in a crossed gesture to indicate that there was an allegation of racist abuse.

Just moments earlier, Vinicius had shone on the field, scoring a world-class goal that secured Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory in the first leg of the Champions League knockout stage. However, instead of focusing on the player’s well-being, attention turned to the protocol and the process to follow. Vinicius appeared to be sidelined, as the game was restarted only 10 minutes after the incident.

The French referee will now write his report for the UEFA, which will begin its own investigation into the events that occurred in Lisbon. But the question lingering is: could this situation have been handled better? “It’s the least bad of a set of terrible options,” said Sanjay Bhandari, chairman of Kick It Out, in statements to BBC Sport. “No one really feels happy about this, and everyone seems dissatisfied. But I don’t think anyone has managed to present a better alternative.”

The UEFA introduced its three-step protocol against racism in 2009, granting referees the autonomy to suspend matches. This is how the protocol works: if a player reports allegations of racism, the referee cannot act unless he hears what was said. The game is stopped and the details are handed to the fourth official. On Tuesday, Vinicius decided to leave the field, and the situation turned into a matter of diplomacy between the teams to restart the match.

If there were racial abuse from the fans, something more common, a statement would be made. If racism persisted, whether from players or supporters, the game could be suspended for a longer period and a new announcement would be made over the public address system. If the situation did not improve, the game could be abandoned. Bhandari commented that the three-step protocol “has not been invoked many times,” but when it does occur, it generates a “fairly healthy debate.”

This protocol has already been used in the Premier League at the start of this season by referee Anthony Taylor when Antoine Semenyo claimed to have been subjected to racial abuse by a fan during the Bournemouth match at Anfield. In 2013, UEFA developed its external policy “European football united against racism,” driven by Gianni Infantino, who was then the organization’s general secretary. The document outlined 11 resolutions defining the responsibilities of players, coaches, clubs, and fans, and Infantino secured the suspension of “at least 10 matches” for players deemed guilty.

In 2021, Ondrej Kudela from Slavia Prague was handed a 10-match suspension after racially abusing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara. It is important to highlight that the gesture of crossing one’s arms to form an “X” is not part of UEFA’s protocol, having been introduced by FIFA in 2024 to alert all participants about the reason for a game’s interruption.

Benfica, for its part, defended Prestianni, claiming he is the target of a “smear campaign.” A referee can only take action if they hear the alleged racist abuse; otherwise, the only option available is the three-step protocol adopted throughout the competition. Darren Cann, former assistant referee for FIFA and UEFA, told BBC Sport that the referee’s role is to “assure the offended player that the allegation is taken very seriously.” “All referees are highly trained and familiar with the three-step approach to follow if they become aware of any racist incidents,” he emphasized.

Given such a complex and distressing issue as racism in sports, the debate over the effectiveness of existing protocols becomes essential, and the fight against racism must continue to be an urgent priority for everyone involved in football.