Benfica's Prestianni Denies Racism in Vinicius Clash

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has denied accusations of racial abuse against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during a Champions League playoff match in February, claiming instead that he used a homophobic insult common in Argentina as a way to unsettle opponents. The incident unfolded on February 17 at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, where the first leg ended in a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid after Vinicius scored the opener.

The confrontation occurred moments after Vinicius's goal, prompting him to approach referee Francois Letexier and report the alleged slur, which he described as calling him a "monkey." Video footage showed Prestianni lifting his shirt over his mouth during the exchange, after which the match was halted for about eight to ten minutes as officials addressed the complaint. Vinicius's teammate Kylian Mbappe, standing nearby, later corroborated the account, stating he heard the racist remark. Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni added that Prestianni had initially claimed to him that the comment was homophobic rather than racial.

UEFA responded swiftly, issuing Prestianni a provisional one-game suspension under Article 14 of its disciplinary regulations...