Benfica’s Prestianni reportedly makes key decision ahead of Real Madrid Champions League clash after suspension confirmed

After UEFA confirmed the suspension, Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has reportedly taken a key decision ahead of the Champions League game against Real Madrid.

Gianluca Prestianni’s incident with Vinicius Junior, who accused him of racial abuse, has become one of the most talked-about stories in recent days. With the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff against Real Madrid approaching, the Benfica winger has reportedly made a key decision after his suspension was confirmed.

After several days of investigation, UEFA decided to provisionally suspend Prestianni for one match, ruling him out of the return leg in Spain against Real Madrid. Still, firm in his stance and eager to defend his reputation amid the allegations, the Argentine, along with Benfica, plans to respond forcefully.

As reported by A Bola, Prestianni will still travel with Benfica to Spain for the second leg against Real Madrid. The Eagles believe there remains a chance the Argentine winger could yet be available, as the decision is not considered final.

After being notified of Prestianni’s suspension, Benfica released a statement confirming plans to appeal UEFA’s ruling. “The Club regrets being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation and will appeal this UEFA decision, even though the deadlines in question are unlikely to have any practical effect on the second leg of the Champions League play-off,” part of the statement read.

Benfica backing Prestianni

Despite the seriousness of the accusations, Benfica has taken a firm stance in support of Prestianni, actively defending the player while challenging the process. The Argentine was unavailable for Saturday’s league match against AVS Futebol SAD due to yellow-card accumulation, but he has not been excluded from the squad led by head coach Jose Mourinho.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, Prestianni gathered his teammates at midfield to tell them he felt “very offended” by the racism accusations. He also apologized to the squad for the attention the incident has brought upon the team.

Prestianni fires back to Vinicius and Mbappe

Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe were among the Real Madrid players who spoke out strongly about the situation — the Brazilian after allegedly being racially abused, and the French forward confronting the Argentine both on and off the pitch, saying he should not be playing in the Champions League.

Rather than backing down, according to El Chiringuito journalist Marcos Benito, Prestianni is seriously considering filing a complaint against Mbappé and Vinicius. The matter could be brought before UEFA, FIFA, and even Portugal’s criminal justice system, since the match took place in Lisbon, on defamation grounds, in what would be another step in his effort to clear his name.