UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni after allegations that he used a racial slur toward Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The Argentine will now be sidelined for the second leg of the playoff in Madrid on Wednesday, Feb. 25. He could face a longer ban if he is found guilty of racial abuse amid an ongoing UEFA investigation.
Prestianni has denied using a racial slur, saying that Vinícius ‘misinterpreted what he thought he heard.’
Prestianni covered his mouth with his jersey when approaching Vinícius, with nearby Real Madrid players signaling that the Argentine had made a racial insult. The Brazil star also said after the game that he’d been racially abused.
Referee François Letexier halted the match for 11 minutes under FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, with Madrid clinching a 1-0 win after it resumed.
Benfica, which has strongly backed its player, released a statement on Monday saying it was disappointed with UEFA’s decision.
‘Benfica has been informed of UEFA’s decision to impose a provisional one-match suspension on its player Gianluca Prestianni, as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid,’ the Portuguese club said.
‘The club regrets being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation and will appeal this UEFA decision, even though the deadlines in question are unlikely to have any practical effect on the second leg of the Champions League playoff.’