Prestianni told UEFA he called Vinicius Jr a homophobic slur and not a racist insult

UEFA investigators have been told that Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni directed a homophobic slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during Tuesday night’s Champions League encounter at the Estadio da Luz, a revelation that has shifted the focus but not the severity of the case.

The flash-point came in the second half, moments after Vinicius scored the match-winner for the visitors. The Brazilian reacted furiously to comments made by the 20-year-old Argentine, pulling at his own shirt and gesturing that he had been verbally abused. Referee intervention led to a ten-minute halt in play while officials attempted to establish what had been said.

Vinicius initially told match officials that he had been racially abused, specifically claiming Prestianni used the Spanish word mono, meaning monkey. Sources close to the investigation now say Prestianni has admitted to UEFA that he used an anti-gay insult in Spanish, denying any racial element.

According to ESPN, the Argentine’s explanation was passed on to Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in the tunnel immediately after the final whistle. Real Madrid have since submitted what the club describes as a comprehensive dossier of evidence to European football’s governing body.

France captain Kylian Mbappe, who started alongside Vinicius, told reporters he heard racist abuse directed at his teammate on five separate occasions and insisted that “some Benfica players were aware of what was being said.” Mbappe demanded strong disciplinary action, a stance echoed by Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who labelled the incident “a moment for UEFA to draw a line in the sand.”

Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations treats racist and homophobic behaviour identically, carrying a minimum ten-match suspension or equivalent sanction. The distinction between the two forms of abuse therefore has no bearing on the potential punishment Prestianni faces.

UEFA’s investigation is ongoing, with no timetable set for a final decision.