Benfica took Prestianni to Madrid despite the UEFA ban | OneFootball

Hours before the rematch against Real Madrid, the Portuguese club backed the Argentine Gianluca Prestianni involved in the clash with Vinicius Jr and included him in the delegation

The Champions League playoffs rematch began before stepping onto the Bernabéu. Benfica decided to put Gianluca Prestianni on the plane to Madrid despite the provisional suspension imposed by UEFA while investigating the alleged racist insult reported by Vinicius Junior. The gesture was political and symbolic: to show full support for the player and stand up against the punishment.

Benfica backs Prestianni

The former Vélez player, 20 years old and recently debuted in the Argentine National Team, remained silent at the Humberto Delgado airport. However, Rui Costa, the club's president, spoke out firmly in his support before the flight.

“This situation is uncomfortable for everyone. For the club and for the player, who is being crucified. I assure you he is not a racist player; otherwise, he would not represent Benfica,” stated the top leader of the Glorious. And he went further: “Benfica is an inclusive and anti-racist institution. It would never allow racist players in its squad. We believe in our player.”

Costa also pointed to the context of the match and the exchange on the field: “On the field, there are often offenses from both sides. Prestianni also felt offended. But I reiterate: he is not racist and therefore deserves our trust.”

UEFA provisionally suspended Prestianni for one match based on an alleged violation of Article 14 (discriminatory behavior), while the investigation continues. Consequently, he cannot be considered for the rematch unless there is an unlikely last-minute administrative turnaround.

The club expressed its displeasure in a statement: “We regret being deprived of the player while the process is ongoing and will appeal this decision.” At the same time, it acknowledged that the timelines make any practical impact on the match unlikely.

After a goal, Vinicius celebrated in front of the Benfica fans. Prestianni approached, covered his mouth with his shirt, and uttered a phrase impossible to read. The Brazilian reported being called a “monkey.” There are no audios or images confirming the content of the exchange. The Argentine denied it: “At no time did I direct racist insults.”

With the 1-0 from the first leg in Lisbon, Real Madrid will host the Portuguese team this Wednesday, February 25, from 5 PM (Argentina), at the Santiago Bernabéu, for a place in the next stage of the Champions League. Benfica has already played its card off the field. In Madrid, it will seek to do so on it.

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