European football’s governing body, UEFA, has provisionally suspended Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni ahead of this week’s decisive Champions League clash against Real Madrid CF following allegations of racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior.
The suspension means Prestianni will miss Benfica’s Champions League play-off second leg after UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body opened an investigation into events that occurred during last week’s first leg in Lisbon.
In a statement released on Monday, UEFA confirmed that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector had been appointed to examine allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the February 17 encounter between SL Benfica and Real Madrid. Following an interim report, the disciplinary body decided to provisionally suspend Prestianni for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would have been eligible.
UEFA noted that the temporary suspension is without prejudice to any final decision that may be taken once investigations are concluded.
The controversy erupted after Vinicius scored in Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory. The Brazilian forward alleged that Prestianni directed a racist remark at him, reportedly using the term “mono” (Spanish for “monkey”) while covering his mouth with his shirt.
The referee activated UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, leading to a pause in play that lasted roughly 10 minutes as officials addressed the situation. Although visibly upset and initially hesitant to continue, Vinicius returned to the pitch and later posted on social media that “racists are, above all, cowards.”
Prestianni has denied making any racist comment. He claimed that while there was an exchange, he did not use racial language, instead suggesting that his words were misinterpreted. Benfica have thrown their support behind the young midfielder and are reportedly preparing a defence as the disciplinary process continues.
The case has once again brought the issue of racism in European football into sharp focus, particularly given Vinicius Junior’s previous experiences with abuse in Spain and other parts of Europe.
Should the investigation find sufficient evidence of discriminatory conduct, Prestianni could face a more severe punishment, including a multi-match ban. His absence, however, is already a setback for Benfica as they attempt to overturn a narrow deficit in the return leg against the Spanish giants.
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