UEFA have handed Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni a provisional one-match ban following Vinicius Jr’s reporting of alleged racist abuse during the Portuguese side’s Champions League play-off first leg last week.
The two sides are due to meet again at the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening, with the Argentine now set to miss the second leg following the UEFA judgment.
The ban has been imposed on a provisional basis, pending an investigation from an ethics and disciplinary inspector, with UEFA confirming that further punishment was an option upon completion of the investigation.
Gianluca Prestianni hit with provisional ban
The incident occurred during the second half of last week’s Champions League play-off first leg, with Vinicius telling referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused by Prestianni following the Brazilian’s stunning goal.
Vincius was then booked for his celebration in front of the Benfica fans.
Vincent Kompany defends Vini Jr and criticizes José Mourinho for his statements after the game pic.twitter.com/FC5BZSmJxbFebruary 20, 2026
The tie was halted for ten minutes after Vincius alerted Letexier, with the Real Madrid side then leaving the pitch.
Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, who was later sent off and will also miss Wednesday’s second leg, was criticised for his post-match comments when he said be believed that Vinicius celebration was disrespectful.
He now faces the prospect of his winger missing out on the second leg in Madrid, despite the investigation remaining ongoing, due UEFA’s ruling that there is enough evidence to support a ‘prima facie violation’ based on the available evidence.
The UEFA statement continued: “This is without prejudice to any ruling that the Uefa disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the Uefa disciplinary bodies."
Benfica quickly issued a response to Prestianni’s ban, saying that the club "regrets being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation”, adding that they would launch an appeal "even though the deadlines in question are unlikely to have any practical effect on the second leg of the Champions League play-off."
If UEFA find Prestianni guilty of racism then he could face a ban of up to ten matches.
The term 'prima facie' which UEFA have cited comes from the Latin for 'at first sight' or 'at first look', and means that the party with the burden of proof need only to present enough evidence to create a revbuttable presumption that the matter asserted is true.
UEFA previously used this term in 2021, when Rangers' Glen Kamara accused Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela of racist abuse in a Europa League game. Kudeka would be found guilty and a 10-match ban was upheld.
