Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has been handed a six-match ban by UEFA for using discriminatory language toward Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior. The 20-year-old player was found guilty of using offensive homophonic slurs during a Champions League match held in Lisbon. This was reported by Goal.com.
UEFA's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) announced the strict disciplinary action against the Argentine footballer following an official investigation. While initial reports mentioned racism, the final decision cited specific discriminatory and homophobic conduct as the grounds for the punishment. The match at the Estadio da Luz was suspended for 10 minutes during the incident.
Three matches of the six-game ban were suspended for a probationary period of two years. If the player commits another disciplinary breach during this period, the remaining three-match suspension will take effect immediately. Additionally, UEFA has requested FIFA to extend the disqualification to apply worldwide.
If FIFA grants this request, Prestianni will also be forced to miss matches in the Portuguese league and for the Argentina national team. Currently, José Mourinho's Benfica side, which trails Porto by seven points in the title race, will have to manage without their talented young player.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram! 
