UEFA to rule on Prestianni-Vinicius case before return leg | OneFootball

UEFA has officially opened a disciplinary case to clarify what happened between Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior during the first leg of the Champions League match held on February 17. The organization, led by Aleksander Čeferin, has appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to lead the investigation into alleged "discriminatory behavior," a measure aimed at shedding light on the conflict immediately before the return match.

The current regulations are strict with this type of conduct; Article 14 of UEFA's disciplinary code states that anyone who insults human dignity on grounds of race, skin color, or origin faces a minimum suspension of ten matches. To issue a verdict, inspectors will analyze referee reports and open a round of consultations that will include testimonies from the two main figures, as well as direct witnesses, notably including the statement of Kylian Mbappé.

For its part, Benfica has reacted with an official statement guaranteeing its total transparency and cooperation with sports authorities. However, the Lisbon club has rallied around its player, reaffirming its unwavering support for Prestianni's version and denouncing what they consider a "smear campaign." The Portuguese institution emphasized that the club's values are incompatible with racism, but they defend that their player's conduct has always been respectful.

Time is a crucial factor in this case. Since the second leg of the tie is played next week, UEFA is expected to issue an express resolution, as has happened in previous cases involving Real Madrid players. This institutional pressure is compounded by that of the AFE (Spanish Footballers' Association), which has formally requested that these events be investigated under the category of a hate crime, which could shift the consequences from the sports arena to the criminal, with possible prison sentences.

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