UEFA suspends Prestianni after alleged racist abuse against Vinicius
UEFA have provisionally suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni following allegations of racist behaviour during a Champions League play-off against Real Madrid.
The decision means Prestianni will miss the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, leaving Benfica without the 20-year-old for the decisive fixture.
The suspension follows a complaint lodged by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
The incident occurred after Vinicius opened the scoring in the first leg at Estadio da Luz on 17 February.
Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt during an exchange with the Brazilian.
Vinicius immediately approached the referee to report the matter, prompting a 10-minute stoppage as UEFA’s anti-discrimination protocol was activated.
UEFA statement
In a statement confirming interim measures, UEFA said: “Following the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Play-off match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026, and upon request of the EDI with an interim report, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) today decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next (1) UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible for the prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) related to a discriminatory behaviour.
“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,” it added.
Ongoing investigation
UEFA confirmed that a formal investigation remains open, with findings to be submitted to its disciplinary bodies. Portuguese authorities are also reviewing the incident.
The outcome could have further implications for Benfica and their squad planning, depending on the final ruling.
For now, Prestianni’s absence adds to the challenge facing the Portuguese side as they seek to overturn the deficit in Madrid.
