Benfica's official response: club denies Prestianni admitted to racism
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
Lisbon's Benfica has issued an official statement to clarify the situation surrounding their player Gianluca Prestianni and the scandal involving Vinícius Júnior.
Details: The club categorically denied the information circulating in the media that the footballer allegedly confessed to his teammates about using a racist slur against the Brazilian. The statement emphasizes that Prestianni never informed players or club officials that he called Vinícius a monkey.
The Eagles' management clarified that the player did apologize to his colleagues, but this was regarding the overall incident and the altercation that occurred during the match against Real Madrid. Prestianni expressed deep regret about the scale and consequences of the conflict. At the same time, he once again assured everyone, as he has done since the beginning of the investigation, that he is not a racist and has never made such remarks.
Despite Benfica's official stance, the situation surrounding the Champions League match incident remains extremely tense. UEFA is continuing its own investigation, and a final verdict will be delivered after all video footage and witness statements have been reviewed.
Recall: Earlier, reports emerged that Gianluca Prestianni admitted to his teammates that he did in fact call Vinícius a monkey.
