After the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid (0:1), one episode on the pitch is causing more discussion than the entire match. It is about the conflict between Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestiani and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior - which could now lead to a 10-match suspension.
It all started in the 50th minute. Vinicius scored a goal and, while celebrating, danced near the corner flag. As a result of this action and the subsequent scuffle, he also received a yellow card. But the main "explosion" happened after that: Vinicius told the referee that Prestiani called him a "monkey". This is also confirmed by his Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe.
The situation has become so serious that the match has been temporarily stopped in accordance with the anti-racism protocol. That is, this is not a “simple brawl” - it is a situation that is subject to official regulation and investigation.
Now the most important part: if the UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspector examines the evidence of the incident and establishes facts confirming that there was a racist insult, Prestian can be suspended for up to 10 matches. This mandatory form of punishment is said to have been introduced in 2013, when Gianni Infantino was UEFA general secretary.
Such a precedent has already been met. In particular, in 2021, after the Slavia - Rangers match in the Europa League, Czech defender Ondrej Kudela was found guilty of racially abusing opponent Glenn Kamara and was disqualified. So, if there is enough evidence, UEFA will not be “soft” on this issue.
In short, now everything depends on the outcome of the investigation. On the one hand, emotions and scandals on the field, and on the other, a policy of absolute intolerance towards racism. In football, victories and defeats are quickly forgotten, but such cases remain. Therefore, this case should be considered openly to the end, not “for the sake of noise”, but so that the truth is revealed and justice is served.
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