Gianluca Prestianni suspended: Benfica player to miss Real Madrid 2nd leg as Vinicius incident investigated

Gianluca Prestianni will miss Benfica's Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday after being hit with a suspension.

The 20-year-old was accused by Vinicius Junior of racist abuse during last week's first leg of the knockout-playoff tie. The Brazil star alleged he was abused after celebrating his goal in the 1-0 win and immediately informed the referee, who initiated the anti-racism protocol that saw the game halted for around 10 minutes.

Madrid players including Kylian Mbappe supported Vinicius' claims, while Prestianni and Benfica denied he made racist remarks. The winger argued that Vinicius misheard him, adding: "I was never racist and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players."

While the case is investigated, Prestianni will have to sit out the second leg.

MORE: What happened with Vinicius in the first leg, and the reaction that followed

Gianluca Prestianni suspended for Real Madrid game

Prestianni was issued a one-game ban by UEFA on February 23, two days before the second leg of the playoff tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Argentina international's suspension is provisional while European football's governing body investigates the allegations against him. Benfica said they would appeal against the decision but acknowledged this would likely be unsuccessful as the match is so soon.

A UEFA statement said: "Following the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Play-off match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026, and upon request of the EDI with an interim report, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) today decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next (1) UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible for the prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) related to a discriminatory behaviour.

"This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies.

"Further information about this matter will be made available in due course."

Should Prestianni be found guilty of racist abuse, he will face a more severe punishment, likely including a far longer suspension.

Benfica statement after Prestianni banned

Benfica said they would appeal against the one-game provisional ban but with the expectation that Prestianni would not be made available for Wednesday's game regardless.

"The club regrets being deprived of a player while the process is still under investigation and will appeal this decision by UEFA, even though the deadlines in question are unlikely to have any practical effect on the second leg of the Champions League playoff," Benfica said.

The club then added that it remained committed to combatting discrimination, mentioning Eusebio, the Mozambique-born Benfica great considered one of the finest players in history.

The statement said: "Sport Lisboa e Benfica also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to combating all forms of racism or discrimination, values ​​that are part of its historical identity and are reflected in its daily actions, its global community, the work of the Benfica Foundation, and major figures in the club's history, such as Eusebio."

What did Vinicius and Prestianni say about alleged racism incident?

Vinicius did not speak to reporters after the match but posted a reaction on his Instagram account.

"Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are," he wrote. "But they have, on their side, the protection of others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish."

Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni both alleged after the game that they heard Prestianni, who was covering his mouth with his shirt at the time of the incident, call Vinicius "monkey". Tchouameni also said Prestianni denied using the word and had instead directed a homophobic slur at Vinicius.

Prestianni did not speak publicly until Benfica posted a statement from him in the hours after the match in which he said he was "misunderstood" in the incident and claimed that Real Madrid players directed "threats" in his direction.

"I want to clarify that at no time did I address racist insults to the player Vinicius Jr, who unfortunately misunderstood what he thinks he has heard. I was never racist and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players," he said.

Following that, Benfica posted a video to the club's social media, attempting to show that the Real Madrid players could not have heard the alleged racist comments properly.

How long could Gianluca Prestianni be banned?

If he is found guilty of racism by UEFA's investigator, Prestianni could face a 10-match ban.

Annex B of UEFA's disciplinary code, entitled 'European Football United Against Racism Resolution', states: "Any player or team official found guilty of racist conduct must be suspended for at least ten matches (or a corresponding period of time for club representatives)."

In this scenario, Benfica would also be required to run a racism awareness programme. "Education will help to address the problem, both in football and in wider society," UEFA says.