Benfica's Prestianni Denies Racial Abuse of Vinicius Junior

During a UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday, Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was subjected to alleged racial abuse, prompting a 10-minute stoppage in the game against Benfica in Lisbon. Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni, who was implicated, denied making any direct racial insults towards Vinicius.

He expressed regret over the misunderstanding, stating he did not intend to racially abuse the player and criticized the protocol followed during the incident. Vinicius, who scored the only goal in the match, received a yellow card for his celebration, which Prestianni described as poorly executed protocol.

The match referee, François Letexier, ordered the players to leave the pitch temporarily. Following the incident, Vinicius Junior shared a post on social media, which included a video of the alleged incident, leading to threats against Prestianni.

UEFA has launched an investigation into the matter.