SOCCER: Mbappe calls for Prestianni ban over alleged racist slur at Vinicius

LISBON – Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has called for Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni to be banned from the Champions League after the Argentine winger was accused of directing a racist slur at Vinicius Jr during Real Madrid’s 1-0 first-leg playoff win on Tuesday.

Prestianni denied the accusation, saying the Brazilian misheard him.

The incident happened shortly after Vinicius curled Real into the lead five minutes into the second half in Lisbon. Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt before making a comment that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur. Referee Francois Letexier halted the match for 11 minutes after activating FIFA’s anti-racism protocols.

The footage also appeared to show an outraged Mbappe confronting Prestianni, calling him “a bloody racist” to his face.

The atmosphere turned hostile after play resumed, with Vinicius and Mbappe loudly booed by the home crowd whenever they touched the ball. Despite the rising tensions, the match finished without further interruptions.

“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vinicius Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” Prestianni wrote on Instagram. “I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”

Mbappe told reporters he heard Prestianni make the same remark toward Vinicius several times, an allegation also raised by Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Mbappe added that he was prepared to leave the pitch but was persuaded by Vinicius to continue playing.

“We cannot accept that there is a player in Europe’s top football competition who behaves like this. This guy (Prestianni) doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League anymore,” Mbappe said. “We have to set an example for all the children watching at home. What happened today is the kind of thing we cannot accept because the world is watching us.”

When asked whether Prestianni had apologized, Mbappe laughed. “Of course not,” he said.

‘Racists Are, Above All, Cowards’

Vinicius later shared his frustration on social media. “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to cover their mouth with their shirt 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 my family’s life,” he wrote.

The Brazilian star has faced repeated racist abuse in Spain, with 18 legal complaints filed against incidents targeting him since 2022.

Real Madrid and Benfica will face each other again for the second leg next Wednesday at the Bernabeu.

-Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Additional reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena; Editing by Toby Davis, Kevin Buckland, and Raju Gopalakrishnan/Reuters