The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has stepped in following allegations by Vinícius Júnior, who claims he was racially abused by a Benfica player, Gianluca Prestianni.
On Tuesday, Real Madrid defeated Benfica 1–0 in the first leg of the playoff match that will determine the team advancing to the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the 2025/2026 season.In the 50th minute of the match, as Vinícius was celebrating the goal he scored, he stated that he was subjected to offensive remarks by Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni.
Vinícius immediately approached the referee, reporting that the player had racially abused him by calling him a “monkey.”Vinícius initially refused to continue playing, leading to a stoppage of nearly 10 minutes. The referee made the anti-racism gesture but did not issue a card or take further action, citing a lack of concrete evidence to confirm the incident.
Twenty-year-old Gianluca Prestianni later denied the allegations in a statement posted on social media, instead accusing Real Madrid players of racially abusing him. Following these developments, UEFA officially intervened in the matter.UEFA confirmed that the referees’ report from the match is under review and stated that all reported issues are being examined, with disciplinary sanctions possible if wrongdoing is established.In addition to the alleged racial abuse by a player, Vinícius also reported being targeted with thrown water bottles from the stands. UEFA regulations state that a player found guilty of racially abusing another player faces a suspension of at least 10 matches, while the club involved may also be sanctioned.Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé, a teammate of Vinícius at Real Madrid, claimed he personally heard Gianluca Prestianni call Vinícius a “monkey” more than five times. He stated that Prestianni should be permanently banned from participating in UEFA Champions League matches
