Prestianni speaks out over taunts in Flamengo v Benfica | OneFootball

After Benfica’s defeat to Flamengo (2-1) in the Algarve Trophy, Gianluca Prestianni took to social media to post a message that is being interpreted as a response to the taunts he was subjected to during the match, both on and off the pitch.

The Argentine winger came on during the first half following Jaden Umeh’s injury and was involved in several intense duels with Emerson Royal. Throughout the match, he was also loudly booed by Flamengo supporters at the Algarve Stadium, still because of the controversy from last season involving Vinícius Júnior, the Brazilian international for Real Madrid and former player of the Rio club.

On his Instagram account, Prestianni shared a reflection that many interpreted as a reaction to the atmosphere during the game: "Not responding to a provocation can also be a sign of character. Not for lack of strength, but because you learn that some arguments only want to see you lose your temper, your composure, and your self-respect. Elegance also means not lowering yourself to every battleground."

It should be remembered that the controversy between Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior dates back to the last edition of the Champions League. At the time, the Benfica winger was initially accused by the Brazilian international of making racist insults. However, UEFA’s investigation concluded that there was no evidence to support that accusation.

Even so, the European governing body ultimately punished the Argentine with a six-match suspension, three of them suspended, for homophobic conduct. Prestianni has always denied any racist behaviour, admitting only that he called the Real Madrid player a "faggot" during the match.

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