After the loud debate about what happened last week he actually said Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has his explanation ready.
According to ESPN, Prestianni has admitted that he made derogatory comments at Real Madrid star Vinícius Junior, but that they were not racist in nature.
That wasn’t it Mono – Spanish for monkey – without Maricon – Spanish for “gay” – that flew out of the Benfica player’s mouth after Vinícius’ goal, if the author himself is to be believed.
It could have been a TV sketch about the utter timelessness of men’s footballers. But of course there is nothing to laugh about here.
A quick review of The events: After Vinícius gave Real Madrid the lead in the playoff duel between Benfica and Real Madrid in the Champions League last Tuesday, the referee stopped the game for ten minutes when Vinícius refused to continue playing.
He did so after the team claimed Benfica’s Argentine midfielder Gianluca Prestianni called him “monkey” after celebrating the goal.
Kylian Mbappé, who played until the goal, confirmed Vinícius’ image.
– Benfica’s number 25 – I won’t say his name because he doesn’t deserve it – started talking badly. This shouldn’t be accepted, but it has happened in football before and it will happen again. But then he pulled his shirt over his mouth and called Vinícius a monkey five times, I repeat; five times, Mbappé said after the game.
The move to hide your mouthusually by hand, in season and out of season, is in itself a plague in international football. It’s a consequence of the ever-long football programs on Spanish and Italian television, which, in order to fill the airtime, often use lip readers to find out what the players are really talking about on the field.
Gianluca Prestianni’s move to pull his shirt over his mouth while verbally humiliating Vinícius appears to have been a calculated move to avoid the consequences of his words.
French referee François Letexier acted in accordance with UEFA protocol, which stipulates that matches must be abandoned if there is suspicion of racism on the pitch. UEFA has launched an investigation into the incident and Gianluca Prestianni faces a 10-match ban if found guilty.
Benfica coach Jose Mourinho said after the game that he “didn’t know” what was said, but questioned the alleged victim:
– Something is wrong, because this happens in all arenas, everywhere Vinícius plays, something happens. Always.
Benfica later reposted on social media a post by Gianluca Prestianni protesting his innocence, adding: “Together by your side.”
The event is set Highlighting one of the biggest problems in European men’s football: Suspicion of racist statements is treated by many involved as a war of words or in general Trash talk which in a way is part of sport.
The loyalty to one’s own club is so great that there are allegations against one of the own players who, according to those standing by, approached Vinícius after the goal and said:
– Ape. Ape. Ape. Ape. Ape.
Players and coaches at the highest level really don’t understand the verbal violence in such games?
Gianluca Prestianni’s latest move, the voluntary transition from suspected racist to outright homophobe, could have easily been laughed at in its absurdity if it weren’t so depressing.
UEFA anti-discrimination protocol Of course this also applies to homophobic statements. Referrals based on “skin color, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation” are punishable by a ban of at least ten games or another equivalent punishment.
On Monday, UEFA announced that Gianluca Prestianni had been suspended until further notice, pending an investigation.
Behind the events of last week’s Champions League lies a culture that men’s football in southern Europe in particular has long grappled with and in which racism, sexism and homophobia forever go hand in hand, amen.
But as black soccer players have gone from oddball exceptions to becoming some of the world’s biggest sports stars over the past fifty years, the debate has also taken on a new side.
Let’s hope Kylian Mbappé condemns Gianluca Prestianni’s home-made version of events with the same severity.
On Wednesday the teams meet in Madrid for the second leg, which is no longer just about a place in the spring Champions League final.
