Prestianni to make new claim in Vinícius racism row as slur accusations probed
According to The Times, Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni will argue in his defense that Vinícius insulted him over his height.
Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, accused of directing racist abuse at Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, reportedly plans to argue in his defense that he actually aimed a homophobic slur at the Brazilian only after Vinícius first taunted him over his height.
According to the British outlet The Times, Prestianni will claim that he responded with an anti-gay insult after Vinícius allegedly referred to him as a “dwarf”. The Benfica winger insists that he did not racially abuse his opponent.
Racism and homophobia both carry heavy punishments
It’s important to note that racist and homophobic abuse are both strictly prohibited under article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations - and are both subject to long bans.
Per European soccer’s governing body, a player found guilty of abuse relating to issues "including skin colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation, incurs a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specified period of time, or any other appropriate sanction."
The Times’ Martyn Ziegler notes: “Taunts about a player’s physical characteristics such as height, size of ears or baldness are not covered by the rules.”
Vini alleges “monkey” slur
Vinicius, who is Black, maintains - with support from teammates such as Kylian Mbappé - that Prestianni called him a “monkey” during last week’s Champions League knockout-phase playoff first leg, played in Lisbon on Feb. 17. The following day, UEFA confirmed it had opened an investigation into the incident.
Prestianni trains despite second-leg ban
Ahead of this week’s second leg in Madrid, Prestianni took part in Benfica’s pregame training session at the Bernabéu on Monday, despite being ineligible to play. The 20-year-old has been handed a provisional one-game suspension as UEFA conducts its probe into Vinícius’s racism accusations.
Benfica has appealed UEFA’s decision to suspend Prestianni, as the Portuguese club pushes for the Argentine to be cleared to play on Wednesday.
Real Madrid vs Benfica: kickoff times, how to watch
In the second leg of the Champions League’s knockout-phase playoffs, Madrid host Benfica tomorrow - Wednesday, Feb. 25 - with kickoff at the Bernabéu scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.
Viewers in the U.S. can watch the game on Paramount+, TUDN USA, Univisión and ViX. You can also stream the action live on the online platform fubo, which offers new users a free trial. What’s more, you can follow live-text coverage of the Madrid vs Benfica right here at AS USA.
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