Mourinho's disciple receives heavy penalty for verbal offense against Vinicius Jr, but not for racial discrimination

Benfica star Gianluca Prestiani banned for 6 matches due to homophobic remarks directed at Vinicius Jr – not the "racist monkey slur" initially alleged in the controversial incident.

Benfica star pays heavy price for homophobic behavior towards Vinicius

Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has been suspended for 6 matches for homophobic conduct targeting Vinícius Júnior during the UEFA Champions League match between his team and Real Madrid in February.

The Champions League playoff between Benfica and Real Madrid was interrupted for 10 minutes after Vinícius Jr accused Prestianni of racist behavior. The Brazilian star covered his mouth with his shirt while confronting the opponent, shortly after scoring the opening goal for the away side in Lisbon.

Vinícius Jr reported the incident to referee François Letexier, claiming the 20-year-old player called him a "monkey." His teammate Kylian Mbappé, who was nearby during the altercation, also confirmed the accusation.

Initially, Prestianni was temporarily suspended by UEFA for one match in the return leg. Following an investigation, UEFA confirmed a 6-match ban for the 20-year-old Argentine player for "discriminatory behavior (specifically homophobic conduct)."

Of these, 3 matches will be suspended under a 2-year probation period starting from Friday's announcement, also including the previous one-match provisional suspension. UEFA has also requested FIFA to extend this penalty globally.

Days after the incident, Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni stated that the Benfica player's side insisted he did not intend to use racist language against Vinícius Jr, but instead uttered a homophobic remark.

For his part, Prestianni expressed disappointment at being suspended by UEFA "without evidence." He told Telefe earlier this month: "I have never been racist and never will be. What hurts me most is being accused of something I never did.

"That is something I did not say, and they punished me without evidence."