UEFA has temporarily suspended Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni for the upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid, following accusations of racist remarks aimed at Vinícius Júnior during last week’s first leg match.
Vinícius alleged that Prestianni directed a racist slur at him after scoring a goal in Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Benfica.
Prestianni was reportedly one of several Benfica players aggrieved by Vinícius celebrating near the Benfica corner flag. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé also claimed to have heard the abusive language. However, sources indicated that Prestianni acknowledged using an “anti-gay” insult rather than a racial one in communication with UEFA.
As a result, Prestianni will miss the second leg of the contest pending the outcome of a UEFA investigation, which could lead to a suspension of up to ten matches if he is found guilty of racial abuse under UEFA’s disciplinary guidelines.
A statement from UEFA noted: “Following the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to investigate claims of discriminatory behavior during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Playoff match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF on February 17, 2026, and at the request of the EDI with an interim report, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next match in UEFA club competitions due to a prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations regarding discriminatory behavior.”
“This decision is not final and does not preclude any further rulings by UEFA’s disciplinary bodies upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation. Further updates will be provided in due course.”
According to UK Practical Law, prima facie means there is enough evidence to assume the claim is true.
“Sport Lisboa e Benfica has been notified of UEFA’s decision to impose a provisional one-match suspension on its player Gianluca Prestianni amid the ongoing inquiry into the incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid,” the club stated.
“The club expresses regret over the player’s unavailability while the investigation is ongoing and plans to appeal UEFA’s ruling, although the timelines may not have a significant impact on the second leg of the Champions League playoff.”
“Sport Lisboa e Benfica reiterates its strong commitment to combating all forms of racism and discrimination, which are integral to its history and reflected in its daily initiatives, its global community, the work of the Benfica Foundation, and figures such as Eusébio.”
This report incorporates information from ESPN’s Bruno Andrade and Alex Kirkland.