UEFA has handed Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni a six-match suspension for homophobic conduct during a UEFA Champions League knockout game against Real Madrid.
The 20-year-old Argentine has already served one match of the ban. Three of the remaining matches have been suspended for a period of two years, meaning he is expected to miss two more games unless he commits a similar offence again within that time.
The incident happened during Benfica’s Champions League encounter with Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.
Prestianni was involved in a tense exchange with Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during the match.
Following the confrontation, Vinícius reported the matter to the referee, leading to a temporary stoppage of about 10 minutes as officials followed UEFA’s anti-discrimination protocol.
The pause allowed the referee and match officials to assess the situation before play resumed.
At first, there were concerns that the incident involved racist abuse. However, after a detailed investigation, UEFA concluded that the language used by Prestianni was homophobic in nature. Discriminatory behaviour of any kind is strictly prohibited under UEFA regulations.
Reports indicate that the Benfica winger admitted to using inappropriate language during the altercation, which may have influenced UEFA’s decision to partially suspend the punishment.
UEFA charged Prestianni under its disciplinary rules on discriminatory conduct.
The organisation has also moved to extend the ban globally through FIFA, which could affect the player’s participation in other competitions.
