Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni has continue to prove his innocence over claims he used a racial slur against Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during their heated Champions League encounter.
Prestianni was handed a provisional UEFA suspension, a move that saw him missed the crucial second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu as Benfica, who had already suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, crashed out of the competition with a 2-1 loss in the return.
The Argentina forward has now express deep frustration over how the situation was handled.
Prestianni did not hold back when discussing the fallout. Addressing the emotional impact, he stated: “I thought about my mom, my dad, and my grandparents having to hear so many things that aren’t true and didn’t happen. It’s one thing for me, as a footballer I’m used to people talking, but it’s another thing for them.
“It hurt me that they treated me as something I never was; that was what hurt the most. I am very calm because everyone who knows me knows what kind of person I am and that is enough for me. I was punished without evidence but it’s over now.
Vinicius Junior speaks to Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Benfica, after his clash with Gianluca Prestianni. (Photo by Octavio Passos – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Tempers flared during the exchange, with other Madrid stars joining the verbal battle. Prestianni revealed Kylian Mbappe also targeted him. “I heard [Mbappe calling him a ‘f*cking racist’] and for us Argentines that is a normal insult,” he explained.
“They call me a racist when I never was and never will be. He insults to get you out of the game but I would never react; on the contrary, the idea is to show it on the pitch.”
Seeking to explain the linguistic differences, he claimed it is a normal insult for Argentines to say certain terms while categorically stressing he did not use the word “monkey” as alleged.
Aside the one match suspension given to Prestianni, UEFA has not yet announced a decision following their investigation, though the club were punished due to the behaviour of their fans during the controversial first leg against Madrid.
