Prestianni case: Benfica waste no time, respond to UEFA

Benfica has announced that it will appeal the provisional one-match suspension imposed by UEFA on Gianluca Prestianni . The sanction comes as a result of an incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid last Tuesday, the 17th, which is under investigation and in which Vinícius Júnior accused the Benfica player of making a racist insult .

In a statement, the club from Luz expressed regret over the decision to be without the player while the disciplinary process is still ongoing. Although they intend to appeal, the club admits that the procedural deadlines will hardly allow the decision to have any practical effect for the second leg of the Champions League play-off, which is to take place this Wednesday.

Benfica also took the opportunity to reiterate its "unwavering commitment to fighting any form of racism or discrimination." The club emphasized that these values are an integral part of its historical identity, visible in its daily actions, in the global community, in the work of the Benfica Foundation and in iconic figures from its history, such as Eusébio .

"Sport Lisboa e Benfica has taken note of UEFA's decision to impose a provisional one-match suspension on its player Gianluca Prestianni , as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident that occurred in the match against Real Madrid. The Club regrets being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation and will appeal UEFA's decision, even though it is unlikely that the deadlines involved will have any practical effect for the second leg of the Champions League play-off. Sport Lisboa e Benfica also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to fighting any form of racism or discrimination, values that are part of its historical identity and are reflected in its daily actions , in its global community, in the work of the Benfica Foundation and in the greatest figures in the Club's history, such as Eusébio," the statement reads.

Without the Argentine winger, Benfica is already preparing for the clash against Real Madrid, scheduled for this Wednesday, February 25, with the goal of overcoming the Merengues and reaching the round of 16 of the Champions League. The match will take place at the Bernabéu, in Madrid, starting at 8:00 pm .

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.