Benfica player admits to using homophobic slur during Champions League match
Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has informed Uefa investigators that he directed a homophobic slur at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during their Champions League clash on Tuesday, rather than the racist language he was initially accused of using, reports BritPanorama.
The 20-year-old Argentine has reportedly provided evidence to the governing body’s probe, claiming he called the Brazilian forward a homophobic term instead of “mono” – the Spanish word for monkey.
The incident took place at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz following Vinicius’s spectacular winning goal, which led referee Francois Letexier to halt proceedings for 10 minutes under Uefa’s racism protocol.
Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe insisted he heard Prestianni use the racist slur “five times” during the confrontation.
Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has urged Uefa to take decisive action against Prestianni, describing the incident as unambiguously racist. Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s La Liga fixture against Osasuna, Arbeloa stated: “Vinicius is sad, like all of us, and very indignant about what happened because, evidently, it was a racist act, which we don’t want to happen again. It’s in Uefa’s hands. They were the first to fight this battle many years ago, it’s a great opportunity for them to show that this fight is not just words, to take action and punish.”
The Spanish giants confirmed on Thursday that they had submitted “all available evidence” to Uefa’s investigation. Prestianni’s admission that he used anti-gay language rather than racist abuse is unlikely to spare him from significant punishment; Uefa’s disciplinary regulations make no distinction between the two forms of discrimination when determining sanctions.
Article 14 of the governing body’s framework stipulates that anyone who “insults the human dignity of a person or group of persons on whatever grounds, including skin colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation, incurs a suspension lasting at least 10 matches or a specified period of time, or any other appropriate sanction.”
The regulations therefore establish identical minimum penalties for both racist and homophobic abuse, meaning the Argentine winger could face a lengthy ban regardless of which slur he actually used. The two clubs will meet again on Wednesday, when Benfica travel to the Santiago Bernabéu seeking to overturn their 1-0 first-leg deficit.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly prohibited any discussion of Real Madrid within his squad, ordering players to concentrate exclusively on their upcoming Primeira Liga match against AVS.
Prestianni will miss that domestic fixture due to a one-match suspension for accumulating five yellow cards. Mourinho attracted criticism for suggesting Vinicius had provoked his players through exuberant goal celebrations at the corner flag. Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany described those comments as “a huge mistake” in terms of leadership. Arbeloa responded by defending his player: “Let’s not turn the victim into a provocateur. I think that would be unjustifiable, and I believe that nothing Vinicius did justifies a racist act.”
This incident underscores the complex interplay of emotions on the pitch, where sporting rivalry often blurs moral lines. The repercussions, however, serve as a crucial reminder that football must navigate its darker currents with decisive clarity.
