UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni for one match after the Argentine winger was accused of directing a racist slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during the Spanish side’s 1-0 Champions League playoff first leg win, European football’s governing body said on Tuesday (AEDT).
Prestianni will miss Thursday’s (AEDT) return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Lisbon.
The suspension is pending the outcome of the ongoing proceedings, as UEFA has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate the allegations of discriminatory behaviour.
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Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid in a clash with Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica. Getty
“This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies. Further information about this matter will be made available in due course,” UEFA said in a statement.
The first leg was suspended for 11 minutes shortly after Vinicius curled Real into the lead five minutes into the second half.
Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt repeatedly before making comments that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old.
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Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica speaks towards Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid. Getty
Referee Francois Letexier halted the match after activating FIFA’s anti-racism protocols. The footage appeared to show Real forward Kylian Mbappe confronting Prestianni and calling him “a bloody racist” while images from the broadcast seemed to show Benfica fans imitating a monkey.
PRESTIANNI DENIED ALLEGATION
Prestianni denied the allegation, saying Vinicius “misunderstood what he thinks he heard.”
Benfica, who last week said they stood by their player, issued a statement saying they “regret being deprived of the player while the case is still under investigation and will appeal UEFA’s decision,” though acknowledged the deadlines in question were unlikely to have any practical effect on the player being available for the match.
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Mbappe told reporters he heard Prestianni direct the same racist remark at Vinicius several times, an allegation also made by Real’s French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
Mbappe said he had been prepared to leave the pitch but was persuaded by Vinicius to continue playing.
“We cannot accept that there is a player in Europe’s top football competition who behaves like this. This guy (Prestianni) doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore,” Mbappe told reporters.
Vinicius later posted a statement on social media voicing his frustration.
“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouth with their shirt to show how weak they are. But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or my family’s life,” Vinicius wrote.
Anti-discriminatory body Kick It Out said focusing on Vinicius’ goal celebration instead of acknowledging the report was a “form of gaslighting” after Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said he thought Vinicius had incited the crowd.
“This approach not only harms the individual affected but also sends the wrong message to others around the world who may have experienced similar situations,” Kick It Out said.
Mourinho will not be on the bench for the second leg after receiving a red card for complaining in the first game.
Prestianni could he banned for up to 10 games if he is found guilty of racial abuse in UEFA’s disciplinary code.
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