Prestianni case - Vinícius Jr; Benfica legend fears UEFA ban | OneFootball

António Simões, European champion with Benfica in 1962, refuses to make summary judgments about Gianluca Prestianni, accused of racism by Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior, in the match on Tuesday, counting for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 play-off. However, the former left-winger has no doubts that, "if this accusation is proven, it will be a major stain on Benfica's democratic history and respect for others".

"Firstly, Benfica has always been a democratic club, even during the dictatorship. The first democracy I knew was at Benfica. Secondly, Benfica was the Portuguese club with the greatest connection to Africa," emphasized the club's former glory, in statements to the newspaper Record.

Simões, 82, classifies this topic as "sensitive." Therefore, until he has all the facts, he refuses to point the finger at the Argentine forward. "I wasn't on the field, I don't know what happened. It is up to Benfica's officials to decide," he noted.

Regarding what was said or not on the field, the former forward concluded: "I am against any discriminatory attitude, especially when it comes to skin color. Football is universal, of all races, languages, and colors. FIFA and UEFA need to create rules to put an end to speculations."

António Simões condemns the manifestations of racism, like those that occurred in the stands of Luz and led Benfica to open an inquiry into the fans who imitated monkeys. The former club legend reminded that such attitudes go against the history of the Club.

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