The Argentine player from Benfica Lisbon Gianluca Prestianni, who was the subject of disciplinary proceedings after insults uttered against the Brazilian from Real Madrid Vinicius Jr, was suspended for six matches, three of which were suspended for “discriminatory (homophobia)” behavior, the European body announced on Friday.
The Argentine winger was accused of insulting Vinicius by covering his mouth with his shirt during February’s Champions League play-off first leg between Benfica Lisbon and Real Madrid. The referee interrupted the match for ten minutes and the player was then provisionally suspended for the return by UEFA.
The six suspension matches, three of which were suspended, include the one already served, the authority said.
By finally condemning the player for “homophobic conduct” rather than for racist insult, according to its press release, the UEFA disciplinary chamber validates Gianluca Prestianni’s line of defense, as reported by the American channel ESPN.
“A serious case”
Vinicius had complained about being called a “monkey” during the meeting by Prestianni. Accusations that the latter had refuted on his Instagram account, arguing that the Madrilenian had “unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard”.
After the game, Kylian Mbappé estimated in the mixed zone that Prestianni did not “deserve to play in the Champions League”. “UEFA,” added the French striker, “is trying to make things happen, but this is a serious case and I hope that decisions will be taken calmly.”
After his provisional suspension, the Argentine player for his part considered during an interview with the Argentine channel Telefe to have been sanctioned “without evidence”.
“I was thinking about my father, my mother, my grandparents, the fact that so many things are said that don’t correspond to me and that didn’t happen. It’s ugly and it hurts a lot,” he said.
According to ESPN, the Argentinian defended himself to UEFA by claiming to have uttered a homophobic insult in Spanish, and not a racist insult.
