UEFA has handed Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni a six-game ban for discriminatory conduct during a Champions League knockout play-off match against Real Madrid in February. The Argentine winger was found to have used homophobic slurs directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior during the Spanish side's 1-0 first-leg victory in Lisbon.
The incident occurred after Vinícius scored and celebrated near the Benfica corner flag, which upset local players and fans and caused the game to be halted for nearly 10 minutes. While Vinícius accused Prestianni of calling him a monkey, the 20-year-old reportedly denied using the term mono, though he admitted to using a homophobic slur.
Of the six-game suspension, three matches are on probation and one has already been served as a provisional punishment. Prestianni must serve two more games, which could include appearances for Argentina at the World Cup in North America this June if he is selected. Argentina is scheduled to play Algeria on June 17 in Kansas City and Austria five days later in Arlington.
Prestianni, who made his only appearance for Argentina in a November friendly, will serve the remaining ban in UEFA club competitions if he is not selected for the national team's World Cup squad.