SOCCER: UEFA provisionally suspends Benfica's Prestianni over alleged discriminatory behaviour

MADRID – UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni for one match after he was accused of directing a racist slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. during the Spanish club’s 1-0 Champions League playoff first-leg win, the European soccer governing body said Monday.

Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Lisbon.

The suspension is pending the outcome of UEFA’s ongoing investigation. An Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to look into the allegations of discriminatory behavior.

"This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies. Further information about this matter will be made available in due course," UEFA said in a statement.

The first leg was paused for 11 minutes shortly after Vinicius scored five minutes into the second half. Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt repeatedly before making comments that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur.

Referee Francois Letexier halted the match after activating FIFA’s anti-racism protocols. Broadcast images appeared to show Real forward Kylian Mbappe confronting Prestianni and calling him “a bloody racist,” while some Benfica fans seemed to imitate a monkey.

Prestianni Denies Allegation

Prestianni denied the allegation, claiming Vinicius “misunderstood what he thinks he heard.” Benfica, who previously said they supported their player, stated Monday that they “regret being deprived of the player while the case is still under investigation and will appeal UEFA’s decision,” although they acknowledged the deadlines are unlikely to affect his availability for Wednesday’s match.

Mbappe told reporters that Prestianni directed the same racist remark at Vinicius several times, a claim also supported by Real’s French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. Mbappe said he had considered leaving 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.

Vinicius also 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.

Anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out criticized the focus on Vinicius’ goal celebration instead of addressing the incident, calling it a “form of gaslighting.” Benfica coach Jose Mourinho had suggested he thought Vinicius had incited the crowd.

"This approach not only harms the individual affected but also sends the wrong message to others around the world who may have experienced similar situations," Kick It Out said.

Mourinho will not be on the bench for the second leg after receiving a red card for complaining during the first match.

-Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters