Gianluca Prestianni used a homophobic slur at Vinicius Jr. That's now UEFA's official finding, and the Benfica winger will serve a six-game ban as a result.
The saga started in February during the Champions League playoff first leg in Lisbon, when Vinicius scored the only goal and Prestianni confronted him. Vinicius sprinted to the referee pointing back at the Argentine, and the referee crossed his arms — the signal for a discrimination allegation. What followed was weeks of claim, counter-claim, appeal, and investigation.
The twist: Prestianni's own defence reportedly undermined him. Sources told ESPN he provided evidence showing he used an anti-gay slur rather than a racist one — essentially arguing the nature of his abuse, not whether it happened. UEFA took that on board, confirmed the conduct was discriminatory, and handed down the ban specifically labelled as "homophobic." Benfica's attempt to appeal the provisional one-game ban earlier in the process was dismissed on February 25.
What the ban actually means in practice
Six games sounds significant. In reality, three are suspended for two years, and Prestianni gets credit for the game he already missed. That leaves him sitting out two more matches. The suspensions must be served in UEFA competition or with the Argentina national team, so his Liga Portugal appearances are unaffected — which matters for Benfica right now.
The Eagles are second in the table, seven points behind Porto with nine games left. They can't afford to ship squad depth. Saturday they host mid-table Moreirense, and Prestianni's domestic availability stays intact.
UEFA has also asked FIFA to extend the suspension globally, meaning any international duty with Argentina falls under the same clock.
A messy episode with no real winners
The racism accusation dominated headlines for weeks. The actual outcome — a two-game effective ban for homophobic language — is likely not what anyone expected when Vinicius pointed at that referee in Lisbon. Discrimination is discrimination, but the specifics here matter, and they've now been established on the record.
Benfica issued a measured statement acknowledging the sanction "for using homophobic language." No pushback this time. The club knows the case is closed.
