Just a few hours before the highly anticipated Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Benfica, UEFA has announced its decision regarding the eligibility of Gianluca Prestianni for the match at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid.
Renowned journalists Fabrizio Romano and Gaston Edul report that UEFA has denied Benfica’s appeal concerning Prestianni. Consequently, the player will watch the game from the stands, as the governing body upheld his suspension ahead of this crucial encounter against Real Madrid.
Despite Benfica making the bold decision to bring Prestianni to Madrid for the game against Los Merengues, the player will have to wait for the suspension from UEFA to be lifted before he can participate in the European tournament again, provided Benfica defeats Real Madrid on Wednesday.
This UEFA decision follows an earlier one concerning a complaint Benfica filed after their defeat to Real Madrid in the first game of the playoffs. There’s mounting anticipation about how the Portuguese squad will perform against the Spanish giants in this Champions League showdown.
Prestianni’s potential replacement in the lineup against Real Madrid
With the current circumstances and the addition of Jose Mourinho making a legal decision regarding the match against Real Madrid, there is speculation about who might step in for the Argentine player in Wednesday’s pivotal matchup against Los Merengues.
Mourinho has four potential candidates to consider for Prestianni’s replacement: Heorhii Sudakov, Dodi Lukebakio, Andreas Schjelderup, and Benjamin Rollheiser are all viable options in the squad for the crucial Champions League clash against Real Madrid.
One standout name as a potential replacement for Prestianni has already warned him about racism allegations involving Vinicius Jr. With this backdrop, Benfica are preparing for what promises to be an intense and highly charged encounter. In the meantime, Prestianni broke his silence on the suspension with a strong message against UEFA.