Benfica Star Denies Racist Abuse Allegations in Champions League Controversy
Gianluca Prestianni has moved to clarify the comments he allegedly directed towards Vinicius Junior during Tuesday night's explosive Champions League encounter between Benfica and Real Madrid. The match descended into chaos when the Brazilian forward accused his opponent of racially abusing him moments after scoring the game's only goal in Lisbon.
Match Halted Amid Racism Allegations
The contest was halted for ten minutes when Vinicius Jr approached referee Francois Letexier to report what he claimed was racial abuse from Prestianni. Video footage showed the Argentine lifting his shirt over his mouth during an exchange between the two players, shortly before the Brazilian raced to the official. Vinicius alleged that Prestianni had called him a 'monkey', with teammate Kylian Mbappe corroborating this claim from close proximity.
Benfica issued a statement in the early hours of Wednesday morning, suggesting Real Madrid's players were not positioned closely enough to hear what Prestianni had actually said. Manager Jose Mourinho added further controversy by claiming Vinicius had 'incited' his players with an exuberant goal celebration.
Prestianni's Public Defense
The 20-year-old Benfica winger has now presented his version of events through social media platforms. On Instagram, Prestianni stated: 'I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to player Vinícius Junior, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard. I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.'
Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni later told media that Prestianni claimed he had not made a racist remark but rather a homophobic comment instead. This added another layer of complexity to the already contentious situation.
On X, Prestianni questioned why Vinicius's teammates had not reacted immediately if the alleged racist comment had indeed occurred. 'If they keep saying that SUPPOSEDLY I made a racist comment to Vinicius Junior, then why didn't any of them react?' he asked. 'Accusing someone of something serious isn't right, and even less so when it's not true.'
The Argentine also addressed why he raised his shirt during the exchange: 'And everyone pointing fingers at me for covering up with my shirt when they know that all soccer players cover their mouths to talk. Don't try to make up more.'
UEFA Investigation Expected
European football's governing body is expected to launch a formal investigation into the incident. A UEFA spokesperson confirmed: 'The official reports from the matches played last night are currently being reviewed. Where matters are reported, proceedings are opened and, should they lead to disciplinary sanctions being imposed, they are announced on the UEFA disciplinary website.'
Mourinho Faces Backlash for Comments
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has faced significant criticism for his post-match comments regarding the incident. The Portuguese coach suggested Vinicius had provoked the situation with his celebration, stating: 'Yeah, I believe so. The words they exchange, Prestianni with Vinicius, I want to be independent. I don't comment about it.'
Mourinho revealed he had spoken with Vinicius during the lengthy pause in play: 'I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. And then, when he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black. This club, the last thing it is is racist, so if in his mind it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.'
The manager added controversially: 'There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays [in] something happens. Always.'
Pundits Condemn Mourinho's Stance
Mourinho's comments left Amazon Prime pundits Wayne Rooney, Clarence Seedorf and Theo Walcott stunned, with Seedorf stating the Portuguese had made a 'big mistake'. The former Dutch international said: 'I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse and I'm not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something more than today. He said wherever he goes these things happen, so he's saying it's okay when Vinicius provokes you, that it is okay to be racist and I think that is very wrong.'
Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards, covering the match for CBS Sports, highlighted what they perceived as Mourinho's hypocrisy. Carragher noted: 'Anyone can celebrate how they like, and you shouldn't get racially abused no matter what. It feels a little bit rich coming from Mourinho. This is a guy who celebrates and antagonises the opposition probably more than any coach has ever done in the past.'
Richards expressed disappointment: 'I'm disappointed with the whole thing. Mourinho is somebody I love as a coach... I expect better from him because he is a powerful person within the sport, a lot of people listen to what he says and Jamie is right, hypocrisy from him when he celebrates how he wants. I just feel a little bit let down.'
Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold described the scenes as 'disgusting' post-match, while UEFA's investigation is anticipated to bring further clarity to the contentious incident that has overshadowed what was otherwise a dramatic Champions League encounter.
