Thibaut Courtois took the floor ahead of the match against Benfica to analyse the sporting situation... which revolved around Gianluca Prestianni. Eight of the 11 questions posed by the press were about the fight against racism and the Belgian goalkeeper did not shy away from any of them. It was a new lesson from the best goalkeeper in the world, but now in a press conference.

Benfica: "The most important thing is to have the fans with us, cheering us on throughout the game and for us to start the game well from the first second. The result is misleading, if they score a goal they equalise the tie. We have to start well, play well, be focused and have the right attitude. If we do that, we will win."

Prestianni's suspension: "We are at a great moment for football to put an end to these things. We in the dressing room know what Vinicius has told us. I don't want to individualise. It has happened in many moments in football, not only on the pitch but also in the stadiums. In the end, UEFA decides and it is a good message."

Has Mourinho disappointed you?: "In the end, Mourinho is Mourinho and as a coach you are going to defend your club and your player. The only thing that disappoints me is to use Vini's celebration. He didn't do anything wrong. Many opponents have done it against us and when they score a goal they celebrate like that. We cannot justify an alleged act of racism with a celebration."

Chilavert's statements: "That is also unfortunate. You can't say things like that, it's another kind of insult. It doesn't fit in today's world or anywhere else, let alone coming from another former professional colleague."

Is it enough to activate the protocols?: "They are getting better and better. In the end, the problem is that at that moment it is Vinicius who decides that we play again; because if he says no, we consider leaving. And let the person responsible for UEFA decide what happens with the match. Then... what happens in the stands is to stop a match and throw those people out. But of course, it is not normal for a footballer to see what happens in the stands, that is the task of a person responsible for the match. And the authorities should be called in. As a society, we have to stop being so stupid".

Rui Costa's statements: "Using Valverde's incident has nothing to do with it, they are incidents of the game. I don't think Valverde intended to hit the opponent. If you want to get someone off you, you push them or take their hand away. About Prestianni it's difficult. In the end, it's going to be word against word. They are going to believe what their player says and we are one hundred percent with Vini".

Vinicius: "Vini has been kicked thousands of times on the pitch by defenders, spats with players and has never said anything like that. I know that Vini has heard it one hundred percent, he has said it many times and I believe in Vini. As he covered his mouth with his shirt, we can never know that. Benfica are going to defend their player and that's it. Then UEFA and the institutions will decide".

If Prestianni plays, will Real Madrid players greet him?: "It's something we haven't talked about with the players and we'll see what we decide as a team".

Benfica's image and homophobic insults: "I saw the images of Benfica's fans during the match and it's deplorable to see that in a stadium because, you may like a player more or less, but to make those gestures is unfortunate. I don't know if they have condemned it, I haven't really followed it very closely. I haven't seen if they have said they are going to go after those who made those gestures. Of all that has happened, there are many things that have not been done well. Both racism and homophobia are unacceptable. And their insults are just as strong. If he doesn't cover his mouth... we can imagine that I think he did say it".