Nicolas Otamendi roasted for bizarre clash with Vinicius Jr

Wesley Sneijder questioned Nicolas Otamendi’s mental state after he bizarrely showed off a tattoo in front of Vinicius Junior.

As Otamendi and Vinicius Jr jostled in second-half stoppage time during Benfica’s Champions League play-off contest against Real Madrid, the defender lifted up his shirt and pointed to his ink of the World Cup trophy.

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Otamendi was seen with a cheeky smile on his face while Vinicius Jr covered his mouth as he no doubt gave the Argentina international a verbal jab right back.

The Benfica defender played every minute of Argentina’s triumphant World Cup campaign in 2022.

It is a trophy Vinicius Jr is yet to obtain with Brazil, who have not won the World Cup since 2002.

Curiously, Otamendi’s act came with Benfica only minutes away from a 1-0 loss to Madrid, with Vinicius Jr the lone goalscorer on the night.

Sneijder’s reaction to Otamendi’s odd act

It’s why Sneijder, an ex-Madrid player, labelled Otamendi’s strange gesture as ‘super childish’.

“Is he alright in the head?” Sneijder said.

“And if I was Vinicius, I would have responded with: ‘Messi won that World Cup for you, you had nothing to do with it.'”

Sneijder added: “Why is he doing this to a Real Madrid player?

“Does he have an idea how many CL titles Vinicius has won? And he is showing him trophies?”

At present, Otamendi has won more trophies at international level than Vinicius, with his World Cup joined by two Copa America crowns along with the CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions.

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As for Vinicius, he has yet to land any silverware at senior level with Brazil.

However, he boasts two Champions League titles and was placed second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings behind Rodri.

The Madrid superstar has taken out a litany of individual accolades too, including the Champions League Player of the Season in 2023/24, three appearances in the LaLiga Team of the Season and two features in the FIFPRO Men’s World 11 in 2023 and 2024.

How Benfica v Madrid descended into chaos

Otamendi’s unusual act was far from the most controversial moment during Benfica’s defeat to Madrid, with the contest marred by allegations of racism toward Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian accused Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him and immediately informed referee Francois Letexier, with the contest paused as per UEFA protocols.

Prestianni copped a verbal scolding from Kylian Mbappe on the pitch regarding his alleged comments, with the latter going on to claim in a post-match interview the Benfica ace ‘should never play’ in the Champions League again.

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Benfica boss Jose Mourinho was also sent off in the dying stages of the match, although his red card was separate to the allegations of racism.

Mourinho received his marching orders for dissent having initially been booked due to his frustrations with one of Letexier’s decisions.

Madrid will look to secure progression into the Champions League round of 16 when they host Benfica at the Bernabeu for the second leg on February 25.