UPDATE: FIFA have accepted UEFA’s request to extend the ban to their international competitions.
This means the The 20-year-old be unavailable for defending champions Argentina for their first two World Cup group matches against Algeria (June 17) and Austria (June 22).
Despite being selected for the last World Cup break, the winger could now miss the tournament altogether, should coach Lionel Scaloni prefer to select a player available for the whole tournament.
Referee François Letexier has also discussed the match where Vinicius Jr alleged abuse from Prestianni.
“I think I made the situation as clear as possible,” he said.
“It’s a very particular moment. It’s a moment when we don’t have all the information. We have to decide without having all the elements.
“In these types of situations, the most important thing is to gather as much information as possible and, above all, to take precautions. That is my priority.
“When a player comes to tell me that he was the target of racist insults that I myself did not witness, I have to take into account what he tells me, but I cannot make a decision based solely on that, which seems legitimate to me.
“It’s necessary to formalise the moment, make it clear to everyone, and explain to the various parties involved that the fact that I neither saw nor heard the incident prevents me from making a disciplinary decision. That’s how I tried to manage the incident.”
“I have the impression that UEFA officials were satisfied with how I handled the incident.
“I also have the feeling that the football world understood the situation quite well. Ultimately, the referee is an external element in this type of context.
“I think I made the situation as clear as possible. Now, if I could avoid having to manage this type of incident and if this type of behavior could be avoided, we would all be much better off without it.”
UEFA have banned Gianluca Prestianni six games for discriminatory conduct.
The European governing body’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body announced the decision on Friday, following an investigation into the Benfica player’s actions against Vinicius Jr during the Champions League match against Real Madrid on February 17th.
Three of the six matches are subject to a two-year probationary period starting from the date of the decision.
Prestianni will have to serve three matches of the suspension, provided he does not reoffend during that time.
One of the games has also already been served, with Prestianni provisionally suspended for the return leg after the initial incident.
What did Prestianni do
Anti-racism protocol was enacted after Prestianni spoke to Vinicius while covering his mouth with his shirt.
It came moments after Vinicius celebrated his goal in front of Benfica fans, and he then informed the referee of what had happened.
While Vinicius didn’t explicitly mention racist abuse, teammate Kylian Mbappe said in the mixed zone post-match that he heard Prestianni say the word ‘mono’ (monkey) five times.
Instead, UEFA have banned Prestianni for ‘discriminatory conduct’ in the form of ‘homophobic insults’.
That comes after the player himself admitted using an equivalent of the word ‘f*ggot’.
“For us Argentinians, it’s a normal insult to call someone a coward or a f*ggot,” he said during an interview at the start of the month.
He added: “I don’t know if I was that worried about what might happen. But what bothered me was being accused of being racist, something I never have been and never will be.
“I also have to be very grateful to Benfica club, who believed in me and supported me in everything, and my teammates also showed me that support internally, and that means much more to me than posting a ‘story’ on Instagram.”
Prestianni made the comments in an interview while on international duty for Argentina.
UEFA have requested that FIFA extend the ban internationally, meaning he could well miss World Cup matches if he is selected.
Mourinho’s comments
Mourinho was slammed internationally after the incident when he suggested Vinicius provoked the reaction.
Speaking after a media silence, Mourinho later said: “I repudiate any kind of discrimination, prejudice, and ignorance.
“I also advise everyone to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and I say that criticism reflects more on the person making it than on the person being criticised.
“I love Álvaro [Arbeloa] and I will continue to love him, but I think I took the right position.
“I said I wanted to take a position without defending one side or attacking the other.
“I said I didn’t want to wear either Real Madrid’s white shirt or Benfica’s red shirt in a situation that could potentially be serious.
“That’s why I tell you to read the Declaration of Human Rights and I repudiate any discrimination or prejudice.
“And I also tell you that if it is proven that my player did not respect these principles, which are mine and Benfica’s, that player’s career with coach Mourinho and with Benfica will come to an end.
“I’m not a scholar, but I’m not ignorant either. I presume innocence and always include a ‘what if’.”
Leave a Reply