Real Madrid vs. Benfica: Sidny Cabral defends "thoughtless act" following Los Blancos defeat

Cabral explains himself after Bernabeu controversy

Real Madrid vs. Benfica: Sidny Cabral defends "thoughtless act" following Los Blancos defeat

Benfica winger Sidny Lopes Cabral apologised after facing criticism for asking Vinicius Junior for his shirt following defeat to Real Madrid.

Incident after Champions League defeat in Madrid

A controversial moment took place after Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 in Champions League on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.

According to Portuguese newspaper Record, Benfica’s Cape Verde international Sidny Cabral came under fire from his own supporters after he was seen asking Vinicius Junior to swap shirts at the end of the match.

The request angered sections of the Benfica fanbase who viewed the gesture as inappropriate following elimination from the competition.

Strong reaction from Benfica supporters

Following the match, Cabral was heavily criticised on social media by Benfica fans. Some supporters accused him of lacking respect for the club while others called for him to leave the team.

The backlash was made worse by recent tension involving Vinicius. During the first leg in Lisbon which Real Madrid won 1-0, the Brazilian forward was targeted by verbal abuse and objects thrown from the stands.

Some Benfica fans felt Vinicius had provoked them by celebrating with dance after scoring the winning goal.

Cabral issues apology

In response to the reaction, Cabral moved quickly to calm the situation. Record reported that the player apologised to Benfica’s management and his teammates insisting that he had no intention of causing harm or creating problems inside the squad.

Cabral explained that once he understood the negative impact of his action on team unity, he changed his mind and did not complete the shirt exchange with Vinicius.