Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has been handed a provisional one-match suspension after Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid reported alleged racist abuse during last week’s UEFA Champions League clash.
The temporary ban means Prestianni is set to miss Wednesday’s second leg in Madrid (20:00 GMT), pending the outcome of a full investigation by UEFA.
UEFA says the suspension is provisional and further punishment could follow once its ethics and disciplinary inspector completes the investigation.
The incident happened during the first leg in Lisbon, when Vinícius informed referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused in the second half. The match was halted for about 10 minutes as the Brazilian and his teammates briefly left the pitch.
Prestianni has denied the allegation. Benfica say they will appeal the decision, even though they admit it is unlikely to change anything before Wednesday’s decisive encounter in Madrid.
Tensions flared after Vinícius scored a brilliant goal and celebrated in front of Benfica supporters, an act that earned him a yellow card. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who was later sent off in the game, criticised the Brazilian’s celebration as disrespectful. Mourinho is also suspended for the second leg and will not address the media before the match. Assistant coach Joao Tralhao will handle press duties at the Santiago Bernabéu.
UEFA explained that the provisional suspension is based on what it described as sufficient evidence of a “prima facie violation,” meaning there is enough initial evidence to justify temporary action while investigations continue.
In response, Benfica said it “regrets being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation” and reaffirmed its commitment to fighting racism and discrimination. The club stressed that these values are central to its history and identity, pointing to the legacy of club icon Eusebio as an example.
