The legal battle is on between Benfica and UEFA. The Portuguese team just learned about the suspension of Gianluca Prestianni and now a statement has been published. While all this happens, the team has to prepare to face against Vinicius Jr. and Real Madrid on Wednesday.
“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,” the statement said. And that is somewhat true. By announcing the suspension just 48 hours before the game, Benfica have little to no time to make an appeal and get it revised.
The Benfica statement also wrote, “Sport Lisboa e Benfica also reaffirms its unwavering commitment to combating all forms of racism or discrimination, values that are part of its historical identity and are reflected in its daily actions, its global community, the work of the Benfica Foundation, and major figures in the Club’s history, such as Eusébio.”
All three Portuguese giants have had racism scandals
Portugal has three huge, historic teams: Benfica, Sporting, and Porto. All three of them, at one point or another, have had to deal with racism issues. In 2012, Porto was fined €20,000 by UEFA after their supporters targeted Manchester City players Mario Balotelli and Yaya Touré with racist chanting. In 2023, Sporting was fined by the Portuguese Football Federation after a section of their fans directed racist insults at Nanu (an Estrela da Amadora player) during a league match.
With manager Jose Mourinho deciding not to talk to the press before and after the Real Madrid rematch, Benfica now are in the eye of the storm. While Benfica have not condemned Prestianni, they have condemned racism, as their statement marks. Now, they are complaining about the reaction time they’ll have to appeal the provisional suspension.
Vini Jr. has been a constant victim of racist chants
Since 2021, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. has endured a relentless barrage of racial abuse. Ranging from monkey chants in stadiums like the Mestalla and Camp Nou, to targeted hate crimes, such as the 2023 incident where an effigy of the player was hung from a Madrid bridge. Some of these episodes have moved beyond the soccer realm and into the courtroom, resulting in historic legal precedents. For instance, in 2024, three Valencia fans received the first-ever prison sentences for racist insults in a Spanish stadium.