UEFA Bans Benfica’s Prestianni Six Matches for Homophobic Slur Against Vinicius Jr.

Context The incident occurred during the first leg of the Champions League playoff between Benfica and Real Madrid on February 14. Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth repeatedly before speaking, an act that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a slur. The referee paused the game for 11 minutes after Vinicius gave Real the lead. Prestianni initially denied using a racist term, claiming Vinicius had misheard him.

Key Facts UEFA announced a six‑match suspension for homophobic discriminatory conduct. Benfica stated that of the three‑match effective ban, one match has already been served and the remaining two must be served in UEFA matches or Argentina national team games under FIFA. Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni reported that Prestianni told him he did not call Vinicius a “monkey” but directed a homophobic comment at him.

What It Means The ban removes Prestianni from Benfica’s upcoming European fixtures and limits his availability for Argentina’s national team. It also reinforces UEFA’s zero‑tolerance policy for discriminatory language in its competitions. Clubs may need to adjust squad depth while the player serves the sanction.

Watch for any appeal Benfica might file and whether FIFA extends the ban to worldwide matches as UEFA has requested.