Jose Mourinho stated that Gianluca Prestianni will have no future with Benfica if he is found guilty of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior.
The Argentine is currently under investigation by UEFA following allegations made by Vinícius during last month’s Champions League playoff in Lisbon.
Prestianni, who denies the allegations, received a provisional one-match suspension, causing him to miss the second leg of the tie last week, which Madrid won to progress to the round of 16, while UEFA initiated its investigation.
If found guilty, the 20-year-old could face harsher consequences.
Initially, Benfica manager Mourinho faced criticism for his remarks, which suggested that Vinícius had provoked the crowd with his goal celebration. He also refrained from condemning Prestianni.
However, on Sunday, ahead of Benfica’s match on Monday, the Portuguese coach told reporters that he is “completely, utterly opposed to any form of discrimination, prejudice, ignorance, or stupidity.”
During a press conference, the 63-year-old further stated, “If my player did not respect these principles, which align with my own and those of Benfica, then that player’s career under coach Jose Mourinho and at Benfica will come to an end.”
“While I may not be a scholar, I am certainly not ignorant. The presumption of innocence is a fundamental human right, isn’t it?”
“I stand by my opinion. Should the player be found guilty, I will never view him the same way again, and for me, it will be over.”
“But I must add many ‘ifs’ to this situation.”
The incident occurred following Vinícius’ only goal in the first leg early in the second half at Estadio da Luz, where Prestianni reportedly covered his mouth with his shirt as he allegedly directed a comment towards the Brazilian.
Information from PA was utilized in this report.