Prestianni provisionally suspended by UEFA, to miss Real Madrid return after racism allegation | OneFootball

UEFA confirmed on Monday that Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni has been provisionally suspended pending an investigation into alleged discriminatory conduct, ruling him out of the Champions League play-off return in Madrid.

The first leg in Lisbon last Tuesday finished 1-0 to Madrid and was halted for about 10 minutes after Vinicius Junior complained he had been called a monkey by the Argentine. Prestianni later denied the allegation, arguing the Madrid forward misheard.

UEFA’s disciplinary and ethics body issued the measure while the case is being examined. Portugal’s authority for preventing violence in sport has also opened an administrative process to establish the facts.

After scoring the only goal on 50 minutes, Vinicius taunted the Estádio da Luz crowd, prompting a heated exchange with several Benfica players and a booking. As the restart loomed, he ran to the referee, pointed to Prestianni and repeated the complaint. The match paused for nearly 10 minutes before resuming with no further sanction.

Benfica expressed regret at losing the player while the procedure continues and restated its opposition to all forms of racism and discrimination. The club will appeal, though the timeframe is unlikely to affect the second leg, which kicks off on Wednesday at 21:00.

Source: Le Progres