Prestianni speaks to UEFA, awaits verdict after Vinícius row | OneFootball

Gianluca Prestianni, young Argentine forward for Benfica, gave a statement to UEFA amid the investigation and scandal over the alleged racist insult towards Vinicius during the match against Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League Playoffs.

According to what TyC Sports was told, the former Vélez player denied having called him “monkey” and admitted to having shouted “faggot” at the Brazilian star of Los Merengues after his stunning goal.

On the other hand, amid the worldwide uproar, Prestianni intends to play in the return leg: he wants to play at the Santiago Bernabéu, despite the hostile reception expected at Real Madrid’s stadium.

Last Tuesday, in the first leg in Lisbon, Vinicius scored a spectacular goal (for the final 1-0) at the start of the second half. After his celebration with a dance at the corner flag, when Benfica was about to restart from the center, Prestianni—who covered his mouth with his shirt—said something to the Brazilian. The Brazil national team star immediately ran to alert the referee and claimed he was called “monkey.” The match was stopped for nearly ten minutes before resuming, amid an atmosphere of maximum tension.

The scandal unleashed the fury of Vinicius and the entire Real Madrid team. Kylian Mbappé was among the first to jump to his teammate’s defense, both on the field and in interviews, with harsh words for the young Argentine. Meanwhile, UEFA opened an investigation, FIFA toughened sanctions for racism, and both the Brazilian Football Confederation and the Portuguese Government got involved.

In this context, Prestianni—who faces a very severe punishment—has already given his statement to UEFA. While awaiting a decision from the organization, he has also requested to play the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, February 25, in what promises to be an extremely heated match…

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