Legends Strike Back: Sneijder and Seedorf Slam Racism in Lisbon

Reaction from Dutch Legends

Dutch football greats Wesley Sneijder and Clarence Seedorf fired back at the Lisbon night s controversy, criticizing Benfica players Gianluca Breistianni and Nicolas Otamendi after racist chants and clashes during Real Madrid s Champions League visit to Benfica.

Sneijder, a former Real Madrid star, launched a forceful critique on Ziggo Sport, urging Breistianni to show courage instead of hiding behind his shirt and speak openly to Vinicius.

He also expressed shock at the persistence of racist labeling of dark skin players as monkeys and questioned how Benfica teammates would respond to such remarks.

Seedorf s Stance

Seedorf, speaking to Prime Sport, stressed that there is no justification for racist abuse and that there is no place for it in football or society.

He added that Vinicius suffering in Spain over the years must be acknowledged and addressed by the football community.

He concluded that every player has a duty to call out racist behavior whenever it occurs and to defend equality on and off the pitch.

Punchline 1: If insults were goals, Otamendi would top the charts.

Punchline 2: In football as in life, the only offside should be the joke—let s keep the game respectful and entertaining.