Benfica's Prestianni Hit with Six-Match Ban Following Homophobic Incident Against Vinicius Jr.

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni will serve a six-match suspension after UEFA officially confirmed he directed a homophobic slur at Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. during a Champions League encounter.

The incident occurred in February during the first leg of their Champions League playoff fixture in Lisbon. After Vinicius netted the match's lone goal, Prestianni confronted the Brazilian star. Vinicius immediately rushed to the match official, gesturing toward the Argentine player, prompting the referee to make the crossed-arms signal that indicates a discrimination complaint. What ensued were several weeks of allegations, rebuttals, appeals, and formal investigation by European football's governing body.

In an ironic turn of events, Prestianni's defence strategy appears to have backfired. According to ESPN sources, the player submitted evidence demonstrating he had used a homophobic epithet instead of a racial slur—effectively debating the type of abuse rather than denying the incident altogether. UEFA reviewed this admission, ruled the behaviour as discriminatory conduct, and imposed the suspension explicitly categorized as punishment for "homophobic" language. Benfica's earlier attempt to overturn a provisional one-match ban was rejected on February 25.

Breaking down the suspension details

While six matches initially appears substantial, the actual impact is more limited. Three of those games are suspended conditionally for a two-year period, and Prestianni receives credit for the match he's already sat out. This means he'll miss just two additional fixtures. The ban applies exclusively to UEFA competitions or Argentina national team duty, leaving his domestic Liga Portugal eligibility untouched—a crucial detail for Benfica's current campaign.

The Portuguese giants currently sit second in the league standings, trailing leaders Porto by seven points with nine matches remaining in the season. They can't afford to lose valuable squad depth during this critical stretch. This Saturday, Benfica welcomes mid-table side Moreirense, and Prestianni remains available for selection in all domestic competitions.

UEFA has additionally requested that FIFA enforce the suspension on a worldwide basis, meaning any call-ups to the Argentina national squad would count toward serving the remaining ban.

A controversial chapter reaches its conclusion

For weeks, racism allegations dominated sports headlines across Europe. The final verdict—an effective two-game suspension for homophobic language—likely wasn't the outcome many anticipated when Vinicius directed the referee's attention to Prestianni that evening in Lisbon. While all forms of discrimination are equally unacceptable, the particular nature of the offence has now been officially documented.

Benfica released a carefully worded statement accepting the penalty "for using homophobic language." Unlike their earlier appeal efforts, the club offered no further challenge. The matter is now officially settled.