The moment Prestianni covered his mouth to insult Vinícius
(PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
UEFA’s request has been granted: the Benfica Argentine has been suspended for six international matches following discriminatory, homophobic insults directed at the Real Madrid Brazilian player.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the six-match ban imposed by UEFA on Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni to a worldwide level. This raises the possibility that the player could miss the upcoming World Cup.
The global football governing body has thus accepted the European confederation’s formal request. UEFA had sanctioned the Argentine footballer with a six-match suspension for “discriminatory behavior” that occurred during the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid on February 17.
During that game, Vinícius Junior reported receiving racist insults from his opponent, claiming he was called a “monkey.” Later, Prestianni reportedly admitted to calling the Brazilian a “faggot.” For this reason, UEFA penalized him for a homophobic insult.
Key topics: Football, World Cup, Champions League, Gianluca Prestianni, Argentina, Vinícius Junior, Benfica, Real Madrid, Portugal League, Argentina