Following a contentious Champions League playoff first leg, Gianluca Prestianni, the Benfica player, faces the prospect of severe disciplinary action. This comes after Vinicius Junior, the Real Madrid star, accused him of directing racist insults during the match held at the Estádio da Luz on Tuesday evening.
The encounter, which saw Real Madrid secure a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half goal from the Brazilian forward, was overshadowed by the subsequent allegations. Vinicius’s celebratory dance near the corner flag after scoring in the 50th minute appeared to provoke the home supporters, leading referee Letexier to book him for incitement and sparking confrontations with several Benfica players.
It was during these heated exchanges that Prestianni allegedly uttered the discriminatory remarks, prompting Vinicius to formally complain to the match official. The situation escalated to the point where the game was temporarily halted, with Vinicius leaving the pitch to converse with Benfica manager José Mourinho before taking a seat on the bench until order was restored. After an approximate 10-minute stoppage, play resumed with Vinicius returning to the field.
The narrow win grants Real Madrid a crucial advantage heading into the second leg scheduled for next week at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Potential UEFA Sanctions Loom for Benfica Player
According to reports from the Argentine publication Olé, should the accusations made by Vinicius be substantiated, Prestianni is likely to face a harsh penalty. The European football governing body, UEFA, is expected to initiate a formal investigation into the incident, with disciplinary measures to be applied in accordance with its established regulations.
The report further indicates that a confirmed violation could result in a suspension for the Argentine winger of no fewer than 10 matches. This potential sanction finds its basis in Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary code, which explicitly prohibits any conduct that “insults the human dignity of a person or group of persons on whatever grounds, including skin colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation.”
The stipulated punishment for such an offence is a ban from any football-related activity for at least ten matches or a specified period, or another appropriate disciplinary measure.