Benfica have denied media reports that winger Gianluca Prestianni confessed to team-mates that he used a racial insult aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.
Portuguese outlets said the 20-year-old had admitted guilt to squad-mates, but the club issued a formal rebuttal. Benfica said Prestianni did apologise to team-mates for his role in the incident during the match against Real Madrid, regretted the consequences, and has consistently maintained he is not racist. The statement denied that Prestianni told the squad or club staff he had uttered a racist slur towards Vinicius.
The episode happened after Vinicius scored to give Real Madrid the lead in the Champions League knockout play-off first leg in Lisbon. Vinicius celebrated in front of the Benfica end and was booked. He was then confronted by Prestianni, who pulled his shirt up over his mouth before speaking to the Brazilian. Vinicius went to speak to referee François Letexier, who activated FIFA’s anti-racism protocol, made the crossed-arms gesture and temporarily halted the match.
After the game UEFA opened an investigation into alleged “discriminatory behaviour.” An ethics inspector was appointed and recommended a provisional one-match suspension for Prestianni while disciplinary proceedings continue; UEFA said the interim sanction is without prejudice. The inspector believes there is prima facie evidence that rules on discriminatory behaviour were breached, a charge that carries a minimum 10-game suspension.
Benfica appealed the provisional ban and Prestianni travelled with and trained alongside the squad in Madrid, but the appeal was dismissed hours before the second leg at the Bernabéu. Real Madrid won the tie 3-1 on aggregate to progress to the last 16; midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni described the outcome as “a victory for everyone who stands against racism.”
Benfica manager José Mourinho, who missed pre-match media duties after being sent off in the first leg, drew criticism for remarks seen as defending Prestianni and questioning Vinicius’s celebrations. Mourinho told Amazon Prime he wanted to remain “independent” amid conflicting accounts, insisted the club was not racist and cited club history in his remarks. He also suggested similar incidents happen frequently when Vinicius plays. Mourinho was later shown speaking with a visibly upset Vinicius; a member of Benfica’s coaching staff received a red card during the stoppage. Play resumed after discussions, though the match was interrupted again later when objects were thrown as Vinicius prepared to take a corner.
After the first leg Vinicius posted on Instagram to condemn racists as ‘‘cowards,’’ complained about what he described as a poorly executed protocol and questioned why he had been booked for celebrating. Prestianni also posted on Instagram, shared by Benfica, denying he directed racist insults at Vinicius and saying the player had misunderstood what he thought he heard. He added that he has never been racist and regretted the threats he said he received from Real Madrid players. Benfica published footage of the confrontation on social media, noting that the distance between players made it unlikely that Real Madrid team-mates could have clearly heard what was said.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé said after the Lisbon match that he heard Prestianni racially abuse Vinicius and argued the winger should be barred from Champions League action. Mbappé said he heard Prestianni repeat a racial slur multiple times and stressed the importance of setting a strong example in elite competitions.
Vinicius has been the target of repeated racist abuse in the past. In 2024 three Valencia supporters were jailed and banned from stadiums after racially abusing him during a 2023 match — a landmark verdict in Spain. Other incidents across Europe have led to convictions, fines and stadium sanctions, and the recurring problem has fuelled debate about how clubs, authorities and competition organisers handle racism in football.
UEFA’s disciplinary process is ongoing and the ethics inspector’s provisional recommendation remains under review as formal procedures continue.