By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
UEFA on Friday handed Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni a six-match ban for anti-gay conduct towards Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior during a Champions League match.
The ban additionally includes the one game which the Argentine winger served as a provisional suspension, so unless he triggers the suspended three-match ban, he will only be sidelined for two further games.
Vinicius Junior alleged he was racially abused in the knockout play-off first-leg game in Lisbon on 17 February.
UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator after the match, with the investigation having concluded Prestianni’s conduct was homophobic rather than racist.
Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations state that “any entity or person subject to these regulations who insults the human dignity of a person or group of persons on whatever grounds, including skin colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation, incurs a suspension lasting at least 10 matches or a specified period of time, or any other appropriate sanction”.
UEFA has not published the reasoning of its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Board (CEDB) in reaching the sanction handed to Prestianni.
Benfica acknowledged the ban in a statement on Friday.
“Sport Lisboa e Benfica announces that it has been notified by UEFA of the sanction imposed on the player Prestianni for using anti-gay language during the Benfica v Real Madrid match.
“The player Prestianni has been handed a six-match ban, three of which are suspended for two years. Of the three-match effective ban, one has already been served and the remaining two must be served in UEFA matches or Argentina national team matches in a FIFA context.”
Uefa’s ruling means that Prestianni’s punishment would apply to matches at this summer’s World Cup, but only if the 20-year-old winger is called up by Argentina and Fifa extends the ban worldwide.