Prestianni denies Vinicius racism claims, accuses Madrid players of threats in Champions League clash
Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni has rejected Vinicius Jr's racism allegations following their heated Champions League encounter, claiming Madrid players threatened him.
The latest Champions League dust-up has kicked off another racism controversy, with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr at loggerheads over alleged slurs during their European clash.
What happened?
The drama unfolded in the 51st minute after Vinicius scored, when the Brazilian approached referee François Letexier claiming Prestianni had directed racist insults at him. This triggered UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, causing an eight-minute stoppage in Lisbon amid rising tensions.
Television cameras couldn’t conclusively prove what was said, as Prestianni had his mouth covered with his shirt while speaking to Vinicius.
Prestianni’s response
The young Argentine took to Instagram to categorically deny the accusations:
“I never directed racist insults at Vinicius Junior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he believes he heard,” Prestianni stated.
The Benfica player insisted he has “never been racist with anyone” but added a bombshell accusation of his own, claiming he received threats from Real Madrid players following the incident.
Madrid’s united front
Meanwhile, the Madrid camp has rallied behind their Brazilian star. Cameras caught Mbappé confronting Prestianni, with the Frenchman later claiming he personally witnessed the Benfica player call Vinicius a monkey “five times”.
Mbappé didn’t mince his words, suggesting Prestianni shouldn’t be allowed to play in the Champions League again, while Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa declared his unwavering support for Vinicius.
Tchouaméni also backed his teammate, revealing the squad discussed abandoning the match before Vinicius encouraged them to continue – Madrid ultimately won 1-0.
The bigger picture
This incident marks yet another chapter in the distressing saga of racism allegations involving Vinicius Jr in European football. The accusations and counter-accusations have overshadowed what should’ve been a straightforward Champions League tie.
With UEFA likely to investigate, this one’s got legs and could rumble on for weeks. Absolute nightmare for all involved, but especially for the beautiful game that continues to be tarnished by these ugly incidents.