Champions League: Gianluca Prestianni suspended for Real Madrid vs Benfica | OneFootball

Gianluca Prestianni will not travel to Madrid

Champions League: Gianluca Prestianni suspended for Real Madrid vs Benfica

It's official! The news was expected for several hours. Gianluca Prestianni has been suspended for his comments towards Vinicius, which were deemed racist last Tuesday.

Accused of racism by Vinicius Jr, during the defeat to Real Madrid (0-1) in the first leg of the Champions League playoff, Gianluca Prestianni will not play in the second leg on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. While the investigation into the case is ongoing, UEFA announced the decision this Monday.

"Following the appointment of a UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate allegations of discriminatory behavior during the 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League knockout playoff match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF on February 17, 2026, and at the request of the EDI in an interim report, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has today decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible, for violating Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations regarding discriminatory conduct. This decision does not preclude any sanctions that may be imposed at a later stage, following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to UEFA's disciplinary bodies," the statement reads.