UEFA opens investigation as Prestianni denies allegations of racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior | OneFootball

Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni has denied that he racially abused Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during their Champions League game.

After Vinicius gave Madrid the lead in the 50th minute, a confrontation ensued with Benfica players unhappy with his celebrations.

Prestianni was then seen covering his mouth with his shirt and saying something to Vinicius, with the Brazilian immediately running to the referee and claiming he had been racially abused.

“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to player Vinícius Junior, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” Prestianni said in a statement.

“I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”

In a statement in Portuguese, which has been translated into English, Vinicius Junior said: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are.

“But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life.

“I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don’t like to appear in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”

UEFA has since confirmed that it is investigating the incident, saying: “A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Play-off between Club Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026.”