Benfica question Vinícius’ story: why did Prestianni cover his mouth? | OneFootball

Benfica released a video defending Gianluca Prestianni following accusations of racism made by Vinícius Júnior. The Lisbon club shows footage of the encounter between the two players and the moment the Brazilian approaches the referee to formalize the complaint. Benfica argues that, "as the images show, given the distance, the Real Madrid players did not hear what they claim to have heard," since both were away from their other teammates.

The controversy began when Vinícius accused the Argentine of making a racist insult, a claim that Kylian Mbappé supported by asserting he heard Prestianni call the Brazilian footballer "monkey" five times.

Benfica reaffirmed its support for its player by sharing a statement signed by Prestianni. In the declaration, it reads: "I want to clarify that at no point did I direct racist insults at player Vinícius Júnior, who unfortunately misunderstood what he believes he heard," to which the club added the message of support: "Together, by your side."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.