Lisbon, Portugal – Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni is at the center of controversy following accusations of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior during Tuesday’s Champions League playoff first leg. UEFA has launched a formal investigation into the incident, which occurred at Estádio da Luz.

Allegations and Prestianni’s Response

The incident took place after Vinícius Júnior scored the opening goal. Play was temporarily halted when Vinícius reported being subjected to a racial slur to referee François Letexier. Prestianni has since denied using a racial slur, stating on social media that he used a homophobic insult instead.

“Prestianni stated that at no time did he say ‘monkey’ to Vinícius, but rather he called him ‘faggot’.”

UEFA regulations state that both racist and homophobic insults carry the same punishment framework, potentially resulting in a suspension of more than 10 games for Prestianni.

Evidence Presented by Real Madrid

Real Madrid has reportedly provided evidence to UEFA supporting Vinícius Júnior’s claim. While details remain limited, the evidence consists of three key elements:

• Images of the interaction between Prestianni and Vinícius Júnior.
• Footage of racist gestures from the stands.
• Statements from Real Madrid players who allegedly overheard Prestianni’s remarks.

“Real Madrid’s appeal will be based on three points. First, all the images of Prestianni’s incident with Vinícius Júnior, (second) the images of the stands where racist gestures are seen and finally (third) all the statements of the Real Madrid players who heard the Argentine’s words.”

Key Details

• Gianluca Prestianni claims to have used a homophobic insult, not a racial slur, against Vinícius Júnior.
• UEFA is investigating the incident under Article 14 of its disciplinary regulations.
• Prestianni faces a potential suspension of over 10 games if found guilty.