UEFA has issued a provisional one-match suspension to Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni following allegations of racist abuse directed at Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.
The 20-year-old Argentine will miss Wednesday’s Champions League second leg at the Bernabéu.
The ban follows an incident during last week’s first leg in Lisbon, where play was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius alerted referee François Letexier to the abuse. Real Madrid players temporarily left the pitch in protest before returning to secure a 1-0 win.
UEFA stated there was enough evidence of a “prima facie violation” to justify an immediate interim ban while a full investigation continues.
Prestianni denies the allegations. Benfica has announced an appeal, though they admit it likely won’t take effect before Wednesday’s kickoff.
The Portuguese side will also be without manager José Mourinho, who is suspended following a red card in the same match.
This swift action mirrors UEFA’s 2021 handling of the Ondrej Kúdela case, signaling a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination during active knockout ties.
The investigation by a UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector remains ongoing, with further sanctions possible once the probe concludes.
