Benficas Prestianni receives one-match ban over Vinicius incident

UEFA Announces Provisional Suspension of Gianluca Prestianni

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one match, following accusations that he racially abused Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during the Champions League playoff between the two teams.

Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s second leg at the Bernabeu, which Real Madrid won 1-0. The game was halted after Vinicius scored a goal and celebrated by the Benfica corner flag, prompting local fans and players to react angrily. Prestianni was confronted by Vinicius, who accused him of calling him “monkey.” However, Prestianni has denied making any racist remarks.

The incident led to the activation of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, but no further action was taken during the match as there was insufficient evidence against Prestianni. The player covered his mouth with his shirt while talking to Vinicius, and Madrid forward Vinicius was shown a yellow card after celebrating his goal.

UEFA has stated that the decision is related to discriminatory behavior, without prejudice to any subsequent ruling by its disciplinary bodies following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation. FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed shock and sadness at the incident, praising the referee for activating the anti-racism protocol.

Benfica has shown support for Prestianni, claiming that Madrid players who said they heard the insult were too far away. The Portuguese club released a statement welcoming UEFA’s investigation and stating that it “fully supports and believes the version presented” by Prestianni.

Source: Al Jazeera