By Kazeem Ajibola Shoyebo
Gianluca Prestianni has reportedly told UEFA investigators that he used a homophobic insult—not a racist one—against Vinícius Júnior during their heated Champions League clash, but the admission still exposes him to the same minimum punishment under UEFA regulations.
According to reports cited by ESPN and other outlets, Prestianni informed UEFA that he used an anti-gay slur in Spanish and denied calling Vinícius a racist term such as “monkey,” which the Real Madrid forward had alleged immediately after the incident.
However, UEFA’s disciplinary code makes no distinction between racist and homophobic abuse when determining sanctions.
Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations states: “Any entity or person… who insults the human dignity of a person or group… including skin colour, race… or sexual orientation, incurs a suspension lasting at least ten matches or a specified period of time, or any other appropriate sanction.”
This means Prestianni could face a suspension of at least ten matches if found guilty, regardless of whether the insult was racist or homophobic in nature.
The controversial exchange occurred during Real Madrid’s Champions League playoff match against Benfica, when Vinícius accused the Argentine winger of discriminatory abuse, prompting the referee to halt play for nearly 10 minutes under UEFA’s anti-racism protocol.
UEFA has since opened a formal investigation and is reviewing evidence, including match reports and witness testimony, before issuing a final decision.
Prestianni’s defence—that his remark was homophobic rather than racist—does not exempt him from punishment under UEFA rules, which classify all discriminatory insults as serious violations subject to severe disciplinary action.