Benfica-Real Madrid referee on Prestianni case: When a player says... | OneFootball

he finally decided to address the controversial episode involving Gianluca Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior in the match between Benfica and Real Madrid in the Champions League. The French referee explained how he experienced one of the most delicate moments of his recent career and believes he acted well.

"When a player tells me he was the victim of racist insults, which I did not witness, I have to take into account what he tells me, but I cannot make a decision based solely on that accusation; that seems fair to me," he began by saying in an interview with RMC Sport radio.

The 36-year-old referee also spoke about how he handled the situation. "This is a very unusual moment, when we do not have all the information. We have to make decisions without having all the facts on our side. In these situations, the most important thing is to gather as much information as possible and, above all, take precautions. That was my priority", he said.

The referee also detailed the aim of his conduct during the match at the Estádio da Luz. "It is necessary to formalize the situation, clarify things for everyone, and explain that the fact I did not witness the incident prevents me from taking disciplinary measures. That was how I tried to deal with it. In the end, the referee is a 'third party' in this type of context", he explained.

a sanction later extended by FIFA. Benfica's Argentine player insisted that he used the word "maricón" and not "mono", the term that gave rise to the accusations made by Vinícius Júnior.

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