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CBS Sports host Kate Scott on Wednesday offered pointed criticism on the soccer player accused of hurling racist abuse at Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr.

Moments after Vini Jr. scored for Real Madrid in its Champions League match against Portuguese club Benfica on Tuesday, he was given a yellow card for the way he celebrated. That celebration drew the ire of multiple Benfica players, and the two teams began jawing at one another. At some point during the incident, Benfica winger Gianluca Prestiannisaid something to Vini Jr. with his shirt covering his mouth. Apparently stunned by what he heard, Vini Jr. immediately ran to nearest official to report it. That official then initiated the racist abuse protocol, prompting an on-field investigation into the matter. Play resumed shortly after.

After the match, both Vini Jr. and his teammate Kylian Mbappe claimed they heard Prestianni say something racist. Prestianni has insisted that Vini Jr. misheard him, but he hasn’t confirmed what he actually said through his shirt.

On CBS Sports Golazo, Scott opened the show with a statement urging for change in the soccer community when she said:

Well, I guess today is a new day in football, but with the same old racist problems; and whilst we do wanna focus on the games ahead today — because the game is what we love — yesterday does still linger. And whether or not you like Vini Jr., that shouldn’t shape your opinion on this incident, and which team you support, it shouldn’t affect which side of the story that you fall on. This isn’t Real Madrid versus Benfica. It is right versus wrong. Vini Jr. and Kylian Mbappe said there was repeated racial abuse. Gianluca Prestianni said they misheard, but he covered his mouth to hide what he said from the cameras; and hopefully we can all agree that if what you’re saying on a football pitch is shameful enough to have to hide it from the public, then you’re wrong.

Scott took a moment to recognize Black players of the past who also had to endure racism. Then, she singled out Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who suggested that Vini Jr. is at least partly responsible for the racism harassment he faces because of the way he provokes opposing crowds.

Scott continued:

Jose Mourinho is an iconic figure in world football. Yesterday, he switched the focus from what had actually been said to whether there was provocation for it. He essentially told us that Vini Jr. was asking for it. That is a damaging narrative from a man who is considered a leading figure in the global game.

Football governance struggles globally with racial diversity at its top executive levels, as do UEFA, but we do hope that the lack of Black voices in the room will not mean that Black players continue to go unprotected. Investigation and due process will have to occur. But whatever the results of that in this case, we hope that football becomes a better platform, where hatred is met with more than nominal fines and partial stadium closures, where diversity is truly celebrated, not just tolerated or abused with shirts over mouths.

The racial diversity on a football pitch in the Champions League is the representation of the global love for this game and the global belonging in this game. This is the very spirit of football. And if you don’t agree, then respectfully, you are the one who doesn’t belong.

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The post CBS Sports Host Blasts Player Accused of Using Racist Insult: ‘You’re Wrong!’ first appeared on Mediaite.