Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni has denied allegations that he racially abused Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr during last week’s Champions League encounter, claiming instead that the Brazilian winger insulted him first by referring to him as a “dwarf” or “midget.”
The 20-year-old Argentine has been handed a provisional one-match suspension by UEFA and is set to miss the second leg of the play-off tie in Madrid on Wednesday. The sanction follows an investigation into an incident that occurred after Vinicius scored the decisive goal in the 50th minute of the first leg in Lisbon.
Prestianni is accused of directing the word “mono” — Spanish for “monkey” — at Vinicius after the Real Madrid forward celebrated in front of Benfica supporters. Vinicius subsequently reported the alleged racist abuse to the referee, prompting a 10-minute stoppage in play.
However, Prestianni has strongly denied using racist language. According to reports, he insists he instead used the homophobic slur “maricon” — Spanish for “f****t” — in response to being mocked about his height. Standing at 5ft 5in, Prestianni is among the shortest players competing in the Champions League, and sources claim his defence is that he was reacting after Vinicius allegedly called him a dwarf.
Insiders have suggested that this explanation is unlikely to mitigate the situation, as both racist and homophobic abuse constitute breaches of Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations and carry the possibility of significant punishment. By contrast, insults relating to physical appearance, such as height, are not covered under those rules.
France star Kylian Mbappe has also weighed in, stating after the match that he heard Prestianni use the racist insult multiple times and adding that such behaviour should have no place in elite football.
Benfica have publicly backed their player, expressing “regret” over UEFA’s decision to impose a provisional suspension while the investigation is ongoing. The Portuguese club has confirmed it will appeal the ruling in the hope that Prestianni is cleared to feature in the return leg.
Club president Rui Costa described the ban as unjustified.
“Nothing is proven, and the player’s absence from this game is not justified,” Costa said. “Prestianni is being labeled a racist, but he’s anything but racist. I can guarantee that.”
UEFA is reportedly concerned that tensions between the two teams could escalate, including the possibility of players refusing to shake hands, similar to past high-profile incidents.
If found guilty of racially abusing Vinicius Jr, Prestianni could face a ban of up to 10 matches.