UEFA Suspends Prestianni After Vinícius Accusation
Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s Champions League second leg after Vinícius accused him of calling him a 'monkey'; UEFA opened an investigation and imposed a provisional one-match ban.
Overview
On Monday UEFA provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one match after Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior accused him of racially abusing him.
The action follows the first-leg match in Lisbon where Vinícius scored a second-half winner in a 1-0 victory and the game was halted for nearly 10 minutes after his corner-flag celebration.
UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was "shocked and saddened," and Benfica said it fully supports Prestianni and will appeal.
Prestianni will miss Wednesday's second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu and UEFA said the provisional ban is "without prejudice" to any later ruling, and a guilty finding could carry a 10-match ban.
The investigation and potential disciplinary process will continue, Benfica said it regretted being deprived of the player and José Mourinho will not give a pre-game press conference on Tuesday.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this coverage neutrally, emphasizing facts and official actions while attributing allegations and reactions to their sources. They report UEFA's provisional suspension, note Vinícius's accusation and Prestianni's denial, cite Benfica's support and Madrid players' defense, and treat quotes (e.g. Mbappé) as source content.
Sources (3)
FAQ
UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one UEFA club competition match, meaning he will miss the Champions League second leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
History
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