UEFA Suspends Prestianni Over Vinicius Jr. Abuse Claims

UEFA has imposed a provisional suspension on Gianluca Prestianni due to allegations of racial abuse directed at Vinicius Jr. during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoff against Benfica on February 17, 2026. Vinicius Jr. scored a goal and celebrated with a dance routine, which reportedly incited anger from the Benfica contingent, leading to the use of racial slurs against him.

Despite a 10-minute delay, the match continued, and Real Madrid subsequently reported the incident to UEFA. The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) described the behavior as discriminatory and decided to suspend Prestianni for the next UEFA club competition match, citing a prima facie violation of Article 14 of UEFA's disciplinary regulations concerning discriminatory behavior.

The ongoing investigation will be conducted by a UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector, and further information will be made available in due course.