He broke the silence

During the playoff match between Real Madrid and Benfica, specifically in the first-leg game in Portugal, the Argentine striker had an altercation with Real Madrid's Brazilian player, Vinicius Júnior. The Real Madrid player accused him of making racist slurs and complained that the Argentine player had called him a "monkey," a claim that teammates like Kylian Mbappé reportedly confirmed. Prestianni denied the accusation from the moment the incident occurred, and UEFA decided to sanction him as a preventive measure, barring him from playing the return leg despite having no evidence. 

Prestianni's statements

Gianluca Prestianni spoke on Telefe about the accusations and his alleged actions

“I don't know if I was so focused on whether something was going to happen. It hurt that they accused me of something I never did; that's what hurt the most. I'm very calm because everyone who knows me knows what kind of person I am, and that's enough for me,” Prestianni stated.

“I was sanctioned without any evidence, but it's over now,” added the Benfica player. “I thought about my mom, my dad, and my grandparents having to hear so many things that are not true and didn't happen. It's one thing for me, as a soccer player, to be used to people talking about me, but it's another thing for them.”

Benfica eliminated

For now, Benfica has been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, and Prestianni was unable to play in the return leg, while Real Madrid and Vinicius Júnior remain in the competition and will aim to win the trophy.

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