Benfica’s Prestianni Receives Provisional Suspension After Vinicius Jr. Racism Allegations

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has been handed a provisional one-match suspension by UEFA following accusations of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior during their Champions League playoff match. The suspension means Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s second leg in Madrid.

Incident During Champions League Match

The incident occurred during the first leg of the Champions League knockout phase play-off tie in Lisbon last Tuesday. Vinícius Júnior reported to referee François Letexier that he was racially abused by Prestianni. The match was temporarily halted for 10 minutes as Vinícius and his teammates left the pitch in protest.

Prestianni’s Response and Benfica’s Appeal

Prestianni has denied racially abusing Vinícius Júnior. Benfica has announced they will appeal the decision, whereas the club acknowledges the appeal is unlikely to affect Prestianni’s availability for the second leg.

UEFA Investigation and Previous Cases

UEFA has launched a full investigation, led by an ethics and disciplinary inspector, to determine the facts of the case. The initial assessment suggests a prima facie case exists, meaning there is sufficient evidence to support the charge of discriminatory language.

This action by UEFA follows a similar case in 2021 involving Slavia Prague’s Ondřej Kuděla, who was accused of racially abusing Rangers’ Glen Kamara. Kuděla also received an interim one-game ban before being ultimately suspended for 10 games after UEFA found the case proven.

Mourinho’s Absence and Continued Scrutiny

Benfica manager José Mourinho is already suspended for the second leg due to a sending-off in the first match. Due to his ban, Mourinho will not be available for pre-match media duties, with assistant coach João Tralhão taking his place.

Further Action Possible

UEFA stated that further punishment could be handed down once the investigation is completed. The disciplinary regulations outline the same punishment framework for both racist and anti-gay abuse.

Sources told ESPN that Prestianni stated he called Vinícius Jr. An anti-gay slur in Spanish, rather than a racial slur. Kylian Mbappé reported hearing Prestianni racially abuse Vinicius five times, and Benfica players also reportedly heard the abuse.