Breaking news! Benfica speak out on controversy in Real Madrid clash | OneFootball

Benfica Benfica issued a statement on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 18, addressing the controversy that took place on the pitch at Estádio da Luz between Gianluca Prestianni and Vinicius Jr. According to the Eagles, the club is fully available to cooperate in the proceedings regarding the accusations of racism to which the Argentine has already responded.

"Sport Lisboa e Benfica approaches the proceedings announced today by UEFA with a total spirit of cooperation, transparency, openness, and a desire for clarification, following the alleged case of racism that occurred in the match against Real Madrid," the club’s statement reads.

"The Club reaffirms, clearly and unequivocally, its historic and unwavering commitment to defending the values of equality, respect, and inclusion, which are in line with the founding values of the club and have Eusébio as their greatest symbol," it added, showing total willingness to participate in the process.

"Sport Lisboa e Benfica also reiterates that it fully supports and believes in the version presented by the player Gianluca Prestianni, whose conduct while serving the Club has always been guided by respect for opponents, for institutions, and for the principles that define Benfica’s identity. The Club regrets the smear campaign of which the player has been a victim," the statement concludes.

It is worth recalling that the statement comes at a time when UEFA has already revealed that it will analyze the reports from the refereeing team of the match against the Merengues. Based on the material shared by François Letexier, the governing body of European football will decide whether or not to open an investigation.

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