UEFA provisionally suspends Benfica's Prestianni over racism claim by Vinícius Jr.

UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one match due to alleged discriminatory behavior against Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior during the first leg of the Champions League playoff in Lisbon. Vinícius reported being called a racial slur, prompting the referee to activate the anti-racism protocol.

Key points

• The suspension prevents Prestianni from playing in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu.
• The provisional ban is based on a prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations concerning discriminatory conduct.
• Prestianni denies the allegation that he called Vinícius a racial slur, while Kylian Mbappé allegedly stated Prestianni used the slur five times.
• Benfica has announced its intention to appeal the provisional decision.
• The incident occurred after Vinícius scored the 0-1 goal in the first leg on February 17.

Why it matters

This immediate disciplinary action by UEFA highlights the governing body's commitment to addressing racism in football while the full investigation, which could lead to severe sanctions under Article 14, remains ongoing.