UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica’s young Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni for one match, ruling him out of the second leg of their Champions League knockout playoff tie against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

This decision came on February 23, 2026, just days after the first leg on February 17, where Real Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 victory in rainy conditions at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz, with Vinícius Júnior scoring the decisive goal shortly after halftime.

The suspension follows allegations of discriminatory behavior directed by Prestianni toward Vinícius Júnior during that heated encounter in Lisbon. UEFA appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to examine the claims, and based on an interim report—including referee notes, video footage, and related testimonies—the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) found a prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, which addresses discriminatory conduct.

UEFA statement on Prestianni case.

“Following the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Play-off match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026, and upon request of the EDI with an interim report, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) today decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next (1) UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible for the prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) related to a discriminatory behaviour”.

“This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies”.

In response to the probe, Prestianni has denied any racist intent or language, but sources indicate he admitted to directing the Spanish term “maricón”—a homophobic slur—toward the Brazilian forward, while insisting it was not a racial insult (Vinícius reportedly perceived or reported it differently, initially linked to a racist term like “mono”). Benfica quickly announced their intention to appeal the provisional ban, arguing in support of their player amid the ongoing full investigation.

UEFA’s official statement emphasized that the one-match suspension—applying to Prestianni’s next eligible UEFA club competition fixture—is a precautionary measure and remains without prejudice to any final ruling once the complete inquiry concludes and is presented to the disciplinary bodies. If ultimately found guilty of discriminatory behavior under the regulations, Prestianni could face a significantly lengthier sanction, potentially up to 10 matches in line with UEFA’s strict policies on such offenses.

The incident has once again spotlighted ongoing issues of discrimination in football, particularly given Vinícius Júnior’s history of facing similar abuse, and it overshadowed what was otherwise a tightly contested European tie played under challenging wet weather. Prestianni, a promising talent who has already debuted for Argentina, will now miss the crucial return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, leaving Benfica—managed by José Mourinho—to adjust their lineup as they attempt to overturn the 1-0 deficit.