UEFA has temporarily suspended Benfica's Prestianni due to accusations of discriminatory conduct.

UEFA has temporarily suspended Benfica's Prestianni due to accusations of discriminatory conduct.

UEFA has temporarily suspended Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni for one match following accusations that the Argentine winger directed a racist slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. during the first leg of the Champions League playoff, which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Spanish team, as stated by the governing body of European soccer on Monday.

Prestianni will be unavailable for Wednesday's return match at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Real Madrid currently leads 1-0 from the initial leg played in Lisbon. This suspension is subject to the results of the ongoing investigation, as UEFA has designated an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to look into the claims of discriminatory conduct.

"This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies. Further information about this matter will be made available in due course," UEFA stated in an announcement.

The first leg was interrupted for 11 minutes shortly after Vinicius scored to give Real the lead five minutes into the second half. Television footage captured Prestianni repeatedly covering his mouth with his shirt before making remarks that Vinicius and nearby teammates perceived as a racial slur directed at the 25-year-old.

Referee Francois Letexier stopped the match after implementing FIFA's anti-racism protocols. The footage appeared to show Real forward Kylian Mbappe confronting Prestianni and labeling him "a bloody racist," while images from the broadcast suggested that Benfica fans were mimicking a monkey.

PRESTIANNI DENIED ALLEGATION

Prestianni refuted the allegation, asserting that Vinicius "misunderstood what he believes he heard".

Benfica, who stated last week that they supported their player, released a statement on Monday expressing their "regret at being deprived of the player while the case remains under investigation and will appeal UEFA's decision", although they recognized that the deadlines in question were unlikely to have any practical impact on the player's availability for Wednesday's match.

Mbappe informed reporters that he heard Prestianni direct the same racist comment at Vinicius multiple times, a claim also made by Real's French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

Mbappe mentioned that he was ready to leave the pitch but was convinced by Vinicius to keep playing.

"We cannot tolerate the presence of a player in Europe's premier football competition who acts in this manner. This individual (Prestianni) is unworthy of participating in the Champions League any longer," Mbappe stated to reporters.

Vinicius subsequently shared a statement on social media expressing his discontent.

"Racists are fundamentally cowards. They must cover their mouths with their shirts to reveal their weakness. However, they are shielded by others who, in theory, have a duty to penalize them. Nothing that transpired today is unfamiliar to me or my family," Vinicius wrote.

The anti-discrimination organization Kick It Out remarked that concentrating on Vinicius' goal celebration rather than addressing the report constituted a "form of gaslighting" after Benfica coach Jose Mourinho suggested that Vinicius had provoked the crowd.

"This tactic not only harms the individual involved but also conveys an erroneous message to others globally who may have faced similar circumstances," Kick It Out stated.

Mourinho will be absent from the bench for the second leg after receiving a red card for his complaints during the first match.