UEFA’s disciplinary process is now in motion following the flashpoint between Vinícius Jr and Gianluca Prestianni during Real Madrid’s 1–0 Champions League playoff win over Benfica, and new details have emerged via ESPN regarding the Benfica player’s defense.
According to ESPN, Prestianni has already provided testimony to UEFA investigators examining the second-half incident at the Estádio da Luz. The controversy unfolded shortly after Vinícius scored the decisive goal, when the Brazilian forward alerted the referee to racist abuse. The situation escalated quickly, resulting in a prolonged stoppage of roughly 10 minutes before the match resumed.
As first reported by ESPN, sources indicate that Prestianni has denied using the word “mono” — Spanish for “monkey” — which would constitute racist abuse. Instead, he reportedly told UEFA that he used a different offensive term, an anti-gay slur in Spanish, claiming that was the extent of his remark.
After the match, Aurelien Tchouameni told Spanish reporters that when confronted on the field, Prestianni insisted he had not used racist language but had said something homophobic instead.
Real Madrid, for their part, have taken an active role in the proceedings. The club has submitted a comprehensive file of material to UEFA, described as including all evidence currently available to them.
Kylian Mbappé was among those who spoke most forcefully after the final whistle. The French forward maintained that he personally heard racist language directed at Vinícius.
“I heard it,” Mbappé said. “There are Benfica players that also heard it.”
Mbappé added that he heard the alleged abuse repeated multiple times during the exchange.
Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa later addressed the matter publicly, urging UEFA to respond decisively. Arbeloa expressed hope that the case could mark a meaningful step forward in combating discriminatory behavior in European football.
Under UEFA’s disciplinary code, racist and anti-gay insults fall under the same article. Article 14 of the regulations states:
“Any entity or person subject to these regulations who insults the human dignity of a person or group of persons on whatever grounds, 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.”