Benfica deny Prestianni admitted to racially abusing Vinicius

Lisbon—Portuguese champions Benfica have moved swiftly to dismiss media claims that teenage winger Gianluca Prestianni confessed to racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior during the clubs’ recent Champions League encounter. In a terse statement released on Tuesday, the Lisbon giants labelled the reports “false” and insisted that at no stage did the 18-year-old Argentine accept any wrongdoing. The club offered no further elaboration, and neither Prestianni nor Vinicius has spoken publicly since the story surfaced. European football’s governing body, UEFA, has yet to confirm whether any formal complaint has been filed or if disciplinary proceedings are under way.