Benfica Winger Denies Racist Allegation, Claims Unjust Suspension

During the Champions League playoff between Benfica and Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr. alleged that Benfica youngster Gianluca Prestianni had called him a "monkey", a claim that was later supported by Kylian Mbappé. The accusation, however, was made without any publicly available evidence and led to Prestianni’s suspension for the second leg.

Prestianni, who has denied the allegation, said he was punished unjustly and that the incident caused emotional distress. He explained that cultural differences may have influenced the interpretation of words and that he never used the slur. The winger also noted the impact on his family and expressed a desire to move forward.