Gianluca Prestianni suspended by UEFA over Vinicius Junior incident
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni has been suspended by UEFA following an incident involving Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, reports BritPanorama.
The suspension will see Prestianni miss Wednesday’s Champions League second-leg match against Real Madrid. The incident occurred at Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz after Vinicius scored a spectacular winning goal, causing referee Francois Letexier to pause the match for ten minutes while initiating UEFA’s racism protocol.
Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe claimed he heard Prestianni use a racist slur “five times” during the confrontation. In response to the allegations, the 20-year-old Argentine has reportedly provided evidence to UEFA, asserting that he directed a homophobic term at the Brazilian forward instead of “mono,” the Spanish word for monkey.
Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has called for rigorous action from UEFA, labelling the incident as unequivocally 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.”
UEFA has yet to confirm the specific comments made during the incident. While the governing body’s supervisory framework makes no distinction between racist and homophobic discrimination, Prestianni’s claim about using anti-gay language is unlikely to alter his punishment, which may include a suspension lasting at least ten matches or similar sanctions under Article 14 of UEFA’s regulations.
Amidst the unfolding controversy, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has reportedly banned any discussions of Real Madrid among his players. Mourinho has faced criticism for suggesting that Vinicius provoked his players with exuberant celebrations following his goal, remarking, “When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
These developments underscore the heightened scrutiny faced by football clubs and players amid ongoing discussions about racism and discrimination within the sport. As the world watches, the stakes remain high for all parties involved—both on and off the pitch. The clash between footballing brilliance and pressing ethical challenges continues, and this incident highlights the delicate balance players must navigate in the modern game.
