UEFA has confirmed a six-match ban for Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni after finding him guilty of discriminatory conduct during the Champions League play-off tie between SL Benfica and Real Madrid. According to the governing body, the suspension relates specifically to homophobic insults allegedly directed at Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior.
Of the six matches handed down, three are suspended for a probationary period of two years, meaning Prestianni is required to serve three matches immediately unless further offences are committed within that window. With one of those matches already served during the return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, the Argentine faces a further two-match suspension to fulfil the active portion of the punishment. UEFA also confirmed that the outstanding bans can be served across European competition fixtures or through FIFA-sanctioned matches with the Argentina national team.
The case originated from the first-leg encounter in Lisbon, where Vinícius Júnior alleged that Prestianni directed offensive remarks at him following a goal. French referee François Letexier intervened by halting the match and activating UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, causing a delay before play was able to resume. Vinícius and multiple Real Madrid players maintained their account of events after the game, even as Prestianni publicly denied having made racist comments. UEFA responded by issuing a provisional one-match suspension ahead of the full disciplinary process.
Following the conclusion of that process, Pulse Sports reported that Benfica formally acknowledged the ruling in an official club statement, confirming the sanction and clarifying how the remaining matches of the ban would be applied. The development adds a further layer of difficulty to Prestianni’s situation, given that Benfica were eliminated from the Champions League following the two-legged tie against Real Madrid.
The incident reflects a broader pattern of scrutiny that Vinícius Júnior has faced during his career at Real Madrid, where the forward has repeatedly reported receiving racially and sexually motivated abuse — both from opponents and spectators — across domestic and European competition. Several high-profile cases have previously resulted in bans for players and stadium closures for clubs found in breach of UEFA’s anti-discrimination regulations.
Prestianni, who joined Benfica from Vélez Sársfield in 2024, has been one of the more prominent young talents operating in Portuguese football this season. His suspension carries implications not only for his club commitments but also for his availability with the Argentina national team in any FIFA-sanctioned window that falls within the active period of the ban.
UEFA’s disciplinary framework on discriminatory conduct has increasingly come under the spotlight in recent seasons, with the governing body under pressure from player associations and anti-racism organisations to enforce consistent and meaningful sanctions. The Prestianni ruling represents one of the more prominent individual bans issued under that framework in the current campaign.
