UEFA has imposed a six-match suspension on Gianluca Prestianni following a controversial incident during Benfica’s UEFA Champions League encounter with Real Madrid in February.
In a statement released on Friday, UEFA said the Argentine winger was sanctioned for “discriminatory (i.e. homophobic) conduct.” Three of the six matches will be suspended for a two-year probationary period.
Prestianni, 20, has already served part of the suspension, having missed the second leg of the Champions League play-off against Madrid.
The controversy arose from an on-field altercation with Vinicius Junior during the first leg on February 17. Vinicius initially accused Prestianni of racism, an allegation the Benfica player denied.
During the exchange, Prestianni was seen speaking while covering his mouth, prompting Vinicius to report the incident to the referee. The situation led to a temporary suspension of the match for about 10 minutes.
After the game, Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni stated that Prestianni had denied making racist remarks but admitted to using a homophobic slur.
UEFA confirmed that it has requested FIFA to extend the suspension globally, ensuring the sanction applies beyond its competitions.
