Uefa has suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni for one match following allegations that he racially abused Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during the first leg of their Champions League playoff. The provisional ban means the 20-year-old Argentine will miss Wednesday’s second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, pending the outcome of a full investigation.
The incident occurred at the Estádio da Luz last week, when Vinícius reported to referee François Letexier that Prestianni had called him a “monkey”. Kylian Mbappé also claimed he heard the insult repeated five times. The match was halted for ten minutes as the anti-racism protocol was activated, though the referee said he had not heard anything. Prestianni, who had covered his mouth with his shirt when speaking, has denied the accusation.
Benfica have criticised the suspension, saying they will appeal despite acknowledging it is unlikely to be overturned in time for the match. The club described themselves as being “deprived” of the player while the process is ongoing and reaffirmed their commitment to fighting racism. They also posted a video on social media suggesting that Madrid’s players could not have heard what they claimed from their positions on the pitch.
Reports have suggested that Prestianni told investigators he used a homophobic slur, “maricon”, rather than a racist term. His agent, Gastón Fernández, denied this, stating that “everything that has been published about what Gianluca said in the Uefa investigations is false”. If found guilty of racial abuse, Prestianni could face a ten-game ban. Use of homophobic language would also likely lead to a suspension.
Benfica head coach José Mourinho, who is serving a touchline ban for his dismissal in the first leg, has opted not to speak to the media before or after the match. His assistant João Tralhão will handle press duties. Mourinho was criticised by anti-racism group Kick It Out for linking Vinícius’s goal celebration to the incident. Benfica trail 1-0 from the first leg, with Vinícius scoring the winner.
