Benfica Expresses Disappointment Over Player’s Suspension

Benfica announced on Monday their regret regarding the suspension of player Gianluca Prestianni amidst the ongoing investigation, stating they intend to challenge UEFA’s ruling.

Incident Overview

Following the opening goal by Vinícius Júnior, tensions escalated on the field, culminating in a heated exchange where Prestianni was seen covering his mouth with his shirt. The Brazilian player, Vinícius, reported to the referee Francois Letexier that he faced racial abuse, prompting a 10-minute halt in the match in line with anti-racism protocols. Vinícius and his teammates eventually left the pitch temporarily during this period.

Prestianni, in response, dismissed the allegations of racism, asserting that the Madrid player “misunderstood what he thought he heard.”

UEFA’s Decision

As a consequence of the investigation into the discriminatory behavior claims, UEFA has imposed a one-match suspension on Prestianni, who will miss the second leg of the tie against Madrid. UEFA announced:

“Following the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to look into allegations of discriminatory conduct… and in light of an interim report requested by the EDI, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next UEFA club competition match.”

“This suspension is without prejudice to any future decision that the UEFA disciplinary bodies might reach after concluding the ongoing investigation and its respective review by the UEFA disciplinary authorities. Additional information on this matter will be released in due course.”

Post-Match Reactions

Vinícius refrained from comments after the match but later shared a message on Instagram stating: “Racists are primarily cowards (who) have to cover their mouths with their shirts to showcase their weakness.”

In light of these developments, Benfica’s manager, Jose Mourinho, has decided to cancel his pre-match press conference in response to the situation.