Following the incidents in the first leg of the Champions League play-off against Real Madrid, UEFA has banned Gianluca Prestianni for six matches. However, the penalty is subject to change.
As UEFA announced on Friday afternoon, the association’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has decided to ban Prestianni “for discriminatory (i.e. homophobic) behavior for a total of six official matches of UEFA clubs and/or national teams for which he would otherwise be eligible to play”.
However, the ban for three of these matches is subject to a probationary period of two years and includes the provisional ban for one match, which the Argentine has already served in Benfica’s second leg against Real on February 25, 2026. Prestianni will therefore only have to serve a two-match ban for the time being.
However, UEFA is applying to FIFA to extend the punishment worldwide, which could have an impact on the attacker’s World Cup nomination. The 20-year-old made his debut in November 2025, but despite an invitation to the international matches in March, he only made one appearance for the reigning world champions.
Word battle with Vinicius Junior decisive
In the play-off first leg against Real (0:1), the Benfica striker was accused by opponent Vinicius Junior of making racist insults, which Prestianni himself denied. The game was interrupted for ten minutes and Vinicius Junior and his colleagues were furious. What followed was a provisional ban for the second leg at the Bernabeu (2:1) by UEFA and further investigations into the case.
The continental association cited what appeared to be a breach of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations in connection with discriminatory behavior as the reason for the provisional ban.
Unclear future at Benfica
It remains to be seen how Benfica will deal with the ruling. Coach José Mourinho declared at the beginning of March that he would no longer use Prestianni if the allegations were proven after the investigation. If his player had not respected the basic principles, “which are mine and not only mine but also those of Benfica, then this player’s career under a coach named José Mourinho or at a club like Benfica Lisbon will be over”, he predicted. The last time Mourinho used the right winger was in the league.