Gianluca Prestianni breaks silence on racism allegations involving Vinícius Júnior | OneFootball

Benfica winger speaks ahead of Bernabeu return

Gianluca Prestianni breaks silence on racism allegations involving Vinícius Júnior

Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni addressed racism allegations involving Vinicius Junior before Champions League return match at the Bernabeu.

What happened during first leg

A new development has emerged in the case involving Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica following accusations that he used racist language toward Vinicius Junior during last week’s UEFA Champions League clash.

Real Madrid won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon, with Vinicius scoring the only goal of the match. After the goal, the Brazilian winger reacted angrily and accused Prestiani of making racist remarks.

The match was stopped for around 10 minute as the referee applied UEFA’s anti-racism protocol increasing tension on the pitch and in the stands.

Prestiani apologises to teammates

According to reports from Record, relayed by Spanish newspaper AS, Prestiani held a meeting with his Benfica teammates on Sunday. During the meeting, the young forward apologised to the squad for the situation that followed his confrontation with Vinicius.

Prestianni reportedly told his teammates that he was unhappy with the media attention surrounding the case. He admitted that the controversy caused problems not only for himself but also for the players & coaching staff at Benfica.

Player denies racist abuse

Despite the apology to his teammates, Prestianni strongly denied making any racist comments toward Vinicius. He insisted that the accusations were false and said the situation had serious impact on his professional and personal life.

The Benfica player described the claims as harsh and said they affected him socially while also creating tension inside the club ahead of a key European match.

Focus turns to the second leg

Prestiani and his teammates are now preparing for second leg of Champions League playoff against Real Madrid, scheduled for Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu.

With the controversy still fresh, the match is expected to be played in a tense atmosphere, both on and off the pitch as Benfica look to overturn the deficit and Real Madrid aim to protect their advantage.