UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) has provisionally suspended Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni for one match following an incident involving Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior in the first leg of the Champions League playoff, European football’s governing body said on Monday (23).
Argentine Prestianni will be out of the second leg this Wednesday (25), at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Real Madrid taking a 1-0 lead in the first game in Lisbon.
Benfica regretted it and said it will appeal the decision. The club affirmed its stance on combating racism.
“Sport Lisboa e Benfica also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to combating any form of racism or discrimination, values that are part of its historical identity and that are reflected in its daily action, in its global community, in the work of the Benfica Foundation and in major figures in the Club’s history, such as Eusébio”, he stated in a statement.
Racist insults against Vinicius Junior have become revoltingly common on European football pitches. The Brazilian star has already opened more than two dozen cases with the Spanish courts, and two of them resulted in historic convictions. In the game between Benfica and Real Madrid, on Tuesday (17) in Lisbon, the infamy escalated to a new standard. For the first time, Vinicius’ accusations were directed at a professional colleague.
While teammates and even idols from other clubs rushed to support the Brazilian team’s striker, Lisbon’s Benfica declared he “fully believes” in the version presented by his player.
Five minutes into the second half, Vinicius danced in a disconcerting manner in front of Benfica full-back Amar Dedic, hit a curved shot beyond the reach of the opposing goalkeeper, the giant Anatoliy Trubin, and scored one of the most beautiful goals in this edition of the Champions League, the biggest club tournament in the world. During the celebration, he performed his traditional and good-natured dance in front of the corner flag, which earned him a yellow card. French judge François Letexier considered that Vinicius had provoked the opposing fans.
A tense moment ensued between players from both teams. When everyone was preparing to restart the match, Vinicius ran towards the referee accusing Gianluca Prestianni, Benfica’s Argentine striker, of racist insults. Letexier rightly interrupted the game, raising his arms crossed in the shape of an X, a sign of racism protocol. The match was stopped for around ten minutes. Prestianni was not punished because he covered his mouth with his shirt when he addressed Vinicius, preventing the VAR from carrying out any type of lip reading.
Shortly after the game, French striker Kylian Mbappé, the protagonist of the Real Madrid team alongside Vinícius Júnior, gave a harsh interview in Spanish: “Benfica’s number 25, I don’t want to say his name because he doesn’t deserve it, with his shirt in front of his mouth, called (Vinícius Júnior) ‘mono’ (monkey) five times. The players heard it, some from Benfica too.”
“In this type of situation we have to speak clearly”, continued Mbappé. “I have the utmost respect for Benfica, for their coach, who was one of the best in the history of Real Madrid. I have Portuguese friends, I have always been treated well in Portugal, I have the greatest respect for the Benfica fans. But for me, this player doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore. We have to give the best examples to young people. If we let this type of situation pass, the values of football are useless.”
UEFA, the governing body of European football, opened an investigation. According to the regulations, racist offenses must be punished with at least ten games of suspension.
