Vinicius Junior alleged that Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him
Former Benfica captain Luisao says he is ashamed of what happened in Lisbon while accusing Gianluca Prestianni of lying. The Champions League play‑off on Tuesday night was overshadowed by allegations of racism made by Vinicius [Vini] Junior against Prestianni.
After scoring a stunning goal to give Madrid the lead early in the second half, Vinicius Jr was booked for excessive celebrations in front of the home fans, who threw objects in his direction. Moments before the restart, he ran to referee Francois Letexier claiming that Prestianni had made a racist remark towards him.
Prestianni was seen speaking with his shirt pulled over his mouth, and the match was halted for more than 10 minutes as Vinicius Jr walked off the pitch, followed by his teammates.
In a statement, Prestianni denied being racist towards the Brazilian, instead claiming that the Madrid star ‘misinterpreted’ what he said.
“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at the player Vinicius Junior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard,” he wrote. “I have never been racist and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
Benfica shared the statement along with the caption: “Together, by your side.”
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football’s Facebook page
Meanwhile, Luisao, posting on Instagram, appeared to contradict both Prestianni’s and Benfica’s version of events.
He wrote: “This [Benfica] shirt is huge. I love Benfica, it’s my second skin. You have to be worthy to wear this sacred mantle.
“That text makes things worse because it’s a lie… Football is won with grit and fighting spirit. It was an act of racism YES, and I am very ashamed by this.”
After the game, Vinicius Jr also released a statement which read: “Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts over their mouths to demonstrate how weak they are.
“But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have the obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened here is new in my life or my family’s. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal.
“I still don’t understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose. I don’t like appearing in situations like this, especially after a great victory when the headlines have to be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”
Uefa are expected to open an investigation into the incident.
