UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) reported this Friday (24) that it suspended Benfica striker Gianluca Prestianni for six games because of “discriminatory conduct” against Brazilian Vinicius Junior, from Real Madrid, during a Champions League duel in February.
Of the six suspended games, three of them will be suspended for a period of two years. The player has already played one of the matches, with two more remaining, in UEFA or Argentina national team games.
The match, valid for the Champions League playoff, at Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, was interrupted for a few minutes after the Brazilian reported that he had been the target of racist insults from Argentine Prestianni.
According to Vinicius Junior, his opponent called him a “monkey”. The Brazilian’s teammate, Kylian Mbappé, also confirmed having heard the insults.
Vinicius scored the only goal of the game five minutes into the second half, with a right shot. During the celebration, he made gestures towards the fans, which provoked a reaction from Benfica players.
The Argentine player made a post on social media hours after the game in which he denied having insulted the Brazilian with racist words.
“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at the player Vinicius Junior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he believed he heard. I have never been racist towards anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players,” Prestianni wrote in Instagram stories.
With AFP
