Following an accusation of racism from Vinicius Junior levelled at Gianluca Prestianni, UEFA have opened an investigation into the incident. The incident occurred during their Champions League play-off tie, and saw the game halted for around 10 minutes before Vinicius agreed to resume play.
The Brazilian informed referee Francois Letexier that Prestianni had allegedly called him a monkey as the pair were arguing after his opening goal. The Argentine player had his mouth covered by his shirt, but Vinicius informed the referee and the anti-racism protocol was activated.
UEFA open investigation into incident
Following the events on Tuesday night, UEFA announced that they had opened an investigation into the matter. An ethics and disciplinary inspector will collect evidence, but it is expected to be a lengthy process. Prestianni has denied Vinicius’ allegations, and thus is likely to be available next week to face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The following statement was emitted by UEFA.
“The official reports from last night’s matches are being reviewed. In the event of a complaint, proceedings will be initiated, and if disciplinary sanctions are imposed, these will be announced on UEFA’s disciplinary website. We have no further information to provide or any other comment to make on this matter at this stage.”
UEFA regulations do not forecast punishment
As highlighted by Diario AS, UEFA regulations recommend harsh sanctions for racism on the pitch, but only provided that the accusation can be demonstrated. They cite a similar case with Pierre Webo during a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Basaksehir, in which Webo accused another player of saying ‘book the black’, but UEFA were unable to find evidence beyond his word. If UEFA cannot pick up audio of Prestianni, then it seems as if they will find it difficult to punish him.
Real Madrid statement
Following the match, Kylian Mbappe told the media that Vinicius had been called a monkey five times by Prestianni, while Alvaro Arbeloa backed up his words too. Jose Mourinho defended his player, saying he could not side with either. Following the match, Real Madrid emitted this statement recounting the events.
“In the 52nd minute of the match, Francois Letexier activated the anti-racism protocol. The French referee crossed his arms in an X shape after Vini Jr. approached him and reported receiving a racist insult from Prestianni, a Benfica player. The match was suspended and resumed 8 minutes later.”
