UEFA Opens Up Racism Investigation After Vinicius-Gianluca Prestianni Incident

UEFA has officially opened a disciplinary investigation into Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni following allegations of racist behavior during the first leg of their Champions League playoff clash against Real Madrid. The European governing body confirmed the appointment of an ethics and disciplinary inspector to look into the events at the Estadio da Luz, where Madrid secured a 1-0 victory. The flashpoint occurred shortly after Vinícius Jr found the net, leading to a significant delay as the Brazilian international and several teammates confronted the opposition and the referee regarding a deeply offensive slur.

Play was halted for approximately 10 minutes after Vinicius became involved in a heated exchange with Benfica supporters as he celebrated his decisive goal. As the teams prepared for Benfica to take centre again, Vinicius ran to the referee and accused the Portuguese club’s player Prestianni of using a racial slur. Referee Francois Letexier subsequently activated the first stage of UEFA's anti-racism protocol.

The Madrid stars were visibly incensed, with Kylian Mbappe reportedly leading the calls for the game to be abandoned if action was not taken. Reflecting on the incident, Mbappe delivered a scathing assessment of what he witnessed on the pitch. "There's Benfica's No. 25, I don't want to say his name because he doesn't deserve to be named, that started speaking badly," he said. "Then he pulled his jersey up to here [covering his mouth] to say that Vini is a monkey five times. I heard it. There are Benfica players that also heard it.

"This player [Prestianni] doesn't deserve to play this competition. We have to give the best example to youngsters, if we let this go, then the values of football serve for