UEFA has handed Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni a six-match suspension on Friday, April 24, after concluding he engaged in “discriminatory (homophobic) conduct” during an incident involving Vinícius Júnior in a Champions League knockout play-off match against Real Madrid at the Estádio da Luz.
The incident occurred in February 2026 during the first leg, which Real Madrid won 1-0. After Vinícius Júnior scored and ran to celebrate near the corner flag, Prestianni confronted him while appearing to cover his mouth with his shirt. Vinícius immediately reported the situation to the referee, alleging he had been subjected to a racial slur, an accusation later supported in post-match comments by Kylian Mbappé.
The referee activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol during the match, resulting in a 10-minute suspension of play while officials reviewed the situation. No red card was issued at the time, but UEFA later opened a disciplinary case, handing Prestianni a provisional one-match ban that ruled him out of the second leg in Madrid.
During the investigation, the 20-year-old Gianluca Prestianni admitted to using a homophobic slur but denied making any racial remark, explaining that he had covered his mouth while speaking during the exchange.
