The Portuguese club Benfica issued an official statement, categorically denying the rumors about their Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni admitting to making an alleged racist insult towards Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during the first leg of the Champions League qualifying playoff.

The club clarified that Bristiani did not inform his teammates or the team management that he had uttered any racist remarks, noting that the player apologized to his teammates for his actions during the match, expressing regret over the extent of the controversy and the incident's repercussions. He also emphasized from the very first moment that he is not racist.

Press reports claimed that Prestianni admitted in the locker room that he was the one who directed an offensive term at Vinicius (calling him a monkey), while at the same time asserting that he does not consider himself a racist.

For its part, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) had earlier announced the temporary suspension of the Argentine player pending the completion of ongoing investigations into the case.