UEFA has banned Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni for six matches following a controversial incident during his club’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid in February.
The European football governing body said the decision was taken “for discriminatory (i.e. homophobic) conduct,” with three of those matches suspended for a two-year probationary period.
UEFA said that Prestianni, 20, had already served one of those matches in the second leg of the Champions League play-off against Madrid.
The winger was provisionally banned for that game after Madrid star Vinicius Junior accused him of racism when they clashed in the first leg on February 17, an accusation Prestianni denied. As the two argued, Prestianni spoke to Vinicius while covering his mouth, leading the Brazilian to complain to the referee and causing the match to be suspended for 10 minutes.
Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni said after the game that Prestianni had told him he had not racially abused Vinicius but instead called him a homophobic slur.
UEFA said it was asking world football governing body FIFA “to extend worldwide the above-mentioned suspension.”
