The agent representing Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has firmly rejected allegations that his client used a homophobic slur during a heated confrontation with Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior. This denial comes as UEFA continues its investigation into the racism accusations that marred Tuesday's Champions League clash in Lisbon.
Match Incident and Immediate Fallout
During the fiery encounter, which Real Madrid won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Vinicius, the match was paused for approximately ten minutes. This interruption occurred after Vinicius reported an alleged racial abuse incident to the match officials. The Brazilian forward accused the 20-year-old Argentine winger, Prestianni, of using racially charged language.
Conflicting Reports and Agent's Statement
In the days following the match, conflicting narratives emerged. Some reports suggested that during UEFA's investigation, Prestianni had admitted to using an anti-gay slur towards Vinicius, rather than the Spanish word 'mono', which translates to 'monkey'. However, Prestianni's agent, Gaston Fernandez, has categorically denied these claims.
In an exclusive interview with the Arabic website Win-Win, Fernandez stated, "Everything that has been published about what Gianluca Prestianni said in the investigations with UEFA is false. Nobody has officially contacted us to inform us about possible sanctions related to the matter."
He further emphasized, "Following the statement issued by Benfica, we don't want to continue with this issue. We have already made it clear that what happened was not as they tried to present or portray it in relation to Gianluca. From now on, what matters to us is to give the player peace of mind and calm."
Broader Context and Manager's Comments
The incident has drawn significant attention, with high-profile figures like Gary Lineker and Vincent Kompany commenting on related matters involving Vinicius Junior. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who faced criticism for his post-match remarks about Vinicius, opted not to hold a standard pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's domestic fixture against AVS.
Instead, Mourinho spoke directly to Benfica's internal TV channel. Reflecting on the Real Madrid match, the 63-year-old manager said, "The match was really demanding in every aspect. Until the 50th minute it was a match of maximum effort, both physically and tactically, and the concentration required for a match of that level."
He acknowledged the emotional toll, adding, "But I must also acknowledge that from the 51st minute until now, and this does not end our conversation, it has not been easy to emotionally manage what happened and what is still happening. But tomorrow there is an important match, which for our ambitions and dreams is essential to win, and we have to concentrate and try to play at the highest level."
Team News and Suspensions
Mourinho confirmed that Prestianni is suspended for the upcoming match and provided an update on other squad members. "Luca (Prestianni) is suspended, and I have no problem in anticipating that (Fredrik) Aursnes will have to stop, so we have some hope that he can play in Madrid. He is not fit to play tomorrow; we will do something, always bearing in mind that the game is difficult and we have to win."
As the football world awaits UEFA's findings, the focus for Benfica shifts to their immediate sporting objectives, while the serious allegations continue to spark debate about racism and discrimination in the sport.
