Gianluca Prestianni will not be able to play in Madrid: UEFA suspended him for alleged racism against Vinícius
Argentine footballer Gianlucca Prestianni, a player for Portuguese club Benfica, has been provisionally suspended by UEFA for the match against Real Madrid, valid for the Champions League round of 16 play-offs, for his alleged racist conduct against Vinícius Júnior in the first leg match, played at the Da Luz stadium in Lisbon.
TL;DR
- Gianluca Prestianni, a Benfica player, is provisionally suspended by UEFA for a match against Real Madrid.
- The suspension is due to an alleged racist incident where Prestianni reportedly called Vinícius Júnior a 'monkey'.
- UEFA's Control, Ethics, and Disciplinary Body issued the provisional ban pending further investigation.
- If found guilty, Prestianni faces a minimum 10-match suspension.
- Kylian Mbappé stated that Prestianni called Vinícius 'monkey' five times, suggesting he shouldn't play in the Champions League.
- Benfica supports Prestianni, while Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa criticized Benfica coach José Mourinho's comments on Vinícius's goal celebration.
- Vinícius Júnior received a yellow card for his celebration and was involved in a separate incident where Benfica coach José Mourinho was expelled.