Carvalhal worried about Prestianni, Benfica star in global spotlight | OneFootball

Carlos Carvalhal, the Portuguese coach who currently works as a commentator, was one of the most recent football figures to react to the controversy involving Gianluca Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior. The coach analyzed the case and shared his perspective on the accusations that marked the match between Benfica and Real Madrid.

In statements to the newspaper AS, in a preview of the second leg of the Champions League playoff, he emphasized that he supports the principle of the presumption of innocence. Even so, he made it clear that, if the truth of the accusations made by the Spanish club's player is confirmed, the Benfica athlete should be subject to a heavy punishment.

"So far, Gianluca Prestianni has not had any incidents. I asked colleagues for their opinion about him and they told me he was a good kid, that he had never had any incidents of this kind. I was commenting on the match and I said more or less this: first, we must be against any act of racism, whoever it is against; second, I believe it is time for a UEFA tribunal to explain what happened (in addition to the provisional suspension); lastly, I am in favor of the presumption of innocence in this and all cases. If it is proven that it was racism, Prestianni should be severely punished," he began by stating.

The 60-year-old Portuguese coach also addressed the statements made by coach José Mourinho about the incident, highlighting that it is necessary to consider that both parties may be convinced of their version of events.

"Assume that both parties are telling the truth. I'm not here to create any kind of doubt. Simply, there are two versions. Unfortunately, the cameras do not prove which one is true. But imagine if it is not true. We are condemning a 20-year-old prodigy to have a serious problem for the rest of his life, without it being true. But, on the other hand, if it is true, and if it is proven, let him be severely punished."

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