Gianluca Prestianni claims Vinicius called him a ‘dwarf’ amid racism row – report | OneFootball

A new development has taken place surrounding the Vinicius Jr. and Gianluca Prestianni incident during Real Madrid’s first leg encounter against SL Benfica in the Champions League.

Prestianni was accused of using a racial slur to insult Vinicius, notably calling him a ‘monkey’ and making gestures. After fierce backlash, the Argentine publicly denied the allegation, initially telling UEFA that he had instead used a homophobic slur.

Now, as UEFA investigates an issue, Prestianni is expected to level an allegation against Vinicius Jr, accusing him of making fun of his height.

Prestianni claims Vinicius called him a ‘dwarf’

According to The Times, Prestianni is set to defend his case by claiming that Vinicius Jr. called him a ‘dwarf’, which is why he retaliated by using a homophobic slur against the Brazilian international.

Standing at 166 cm, Prestianni is one of the shortest players in elite football and certainly in the Champions League this season.

Prestianni was involved in a heated confrontation with Vinicius in the first leg. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Vinicius, standing at 176 cm, is not much taller either. While making fun of one’s race or sexual preference are violations of Article 14 of UEFA’s rules and regulations, making fun of someone’s height is not covered by these rules.

In fact, any taunts about a player’s physical characteristics, such as height, size of ears or baldness, are not covered by the rules.

Meanwhile, the report points out that Prestianni’s defence, which is retaliation after being called a ‘dwarf’, is unlikely to be taken seriously. It won’t be considered a valid excuse.

Prestianni, for now, is travelling with the Benfica team despite being given a one-match provisional suspension from UEFA, with his team appealing against the incident.

However, if UEFA investigations do find the Argentine culpable, he could face a ban of up to ten matches.