Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni suspended by Uefa following Vinicius Junior incident
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni has been suspended by Uefa following an incident with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, resulting in the player missing Wednesday’s Champions League second-leg match against the Spanish side, reports BritPanorama.
The incident occurred at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz after Vinicius scored a winning goal, which led the referee, Francois Letexier, to pause the match for 10 minutes in compliance with Uefa’s racism protocol.
Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe claimed he heard Prestianni use a racist slur on multiple occasions during the altercation. In response to the allegation, the 20-year-old Argentine stated he had used a homophobic term instead, arguing that he did not refer to the Brazilian as “mono,” the Spanish word for monkey.
Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has urged Uefa to take decisive action against Prestianni, labeling the incident as unequivocally racist. Arbeloa remarked, “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.” He stressed that it was Uefa’s responsibility to act and demonstrate genuine commitment to tackling such issues.
The Spanish club has submitted “all available evidence” pertaining to the incident as part of Uefa’s investigation. As it currently stands, Uefa has yet to disclose what specific comments were made during the confrontation.
Despite Prestianni’s claim of having used anti-gay language, Uefa’s disciplinary regulations do not differentiate between racist and homophobic abuse in determining sanctions. Thus, his admission may not affect the disciplinary outcome.
Uefa Article 14 dictates severe consequences for anyone who insults a person’s dignity based on any discriminatory grounds, including race and sexual orientation, indicating a suspension of at least 10 matches or equivalent penalties.
Benfica’s manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly restricted any discussions regarding Real Madrid within his squad. Mourinho has found himself at the center of controversy for suggesting that Vinicius provoked his players with goal celebrations. He stated, “When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
Mourinho later mentioned he had a conversation with Vinicius during the stoppage, advising him to celebrate and return to play. Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany criticized Mourinho’s remarks as a significant leadership failure, while Arbeloa defended his player, asserting that no behavior from Vinicius could justify a racist act.
As Benfica prepares for the critical second leg after a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first match, the unfolding events around Prestianni serve as a stark reminder of the undercurrents of race and respect within the sport, echoing loud across stadiums as the fight against discrimination continues.
