Benfica defies UEFA: Prestianni to travel to Madrid

Prestianni will travel to Madrid despite being provisionally suspended by UEFA over the alleged racist insults directed at Vinicius. At this stage, Benfica’s plan is for the Argentine to be part of the traveling party.

He will fly to Madrid with his teammates, a move that could be interpreted as provocative given that he is barred from playing under the one-match suspension imposed while UEFA investigates. It is not yet clear, if Benfica follows through with its plan, whether he would be allowed on the bench or, more likely, required to sit in the stands, a scenario that could even raise security concerns.

Benfica has not yet released its official squad list for the match, but Mourinho expects Prestianni to travel. The Lisbon club immediately appealed UEFA’s decision to suspend the Argentine for one game pending the investigation into the incident at the Estádio da Luz. According to Mbappé, he personally heard Prestianni call Vinicius “monkey” on as many as five occasions.

Prestianni was a focal point during Benfica’s training session on Sunday. Before practice, the Argentine gathered his teammates to address them. According to the account published by Récord, Prestianni again insisted in the locker room that he did not direct any racist insult at Vinicius and said he felt “deeply offended” by the Real Madrid player’s accusations, which he believes have damaged him both professionally and socially.

Benfica statement on Prestianni sanction

As soon as UEFA’s decision became public, Benfica issued a statement expressing regret and announcing an immediate appeal:

“Benfica has been informed of UEFA’s decision to impose a provisional one-match suspension on its player Gianluca Prestianni, within the framework of the ongoing investigation into the incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid. The Club regrets being deprived of the player while the process remains under investigation and will appeal UEFA’s decision, although the timelines involved are unlikely to have any practical effect for the second leg of the Champions League playoff.”

“Benfica also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the fight against any form of racism or discrimination,” the statement continued, “values that are part of its historic identity and reflected in its daily actions, its global community, the work of the Benfica Foundation, and in major figures in the Club’s history, such as Eusébio.”

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