Uefa bans Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni six games for homophobic slur

Uefa has suspended Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni for six matches after ruling that his conduct in the Champions League knockout play-off against Real Madrid was discriminatory and homophobic.

The governing body announced the sanction on Friday, April 24, 2026, after an ethics and disciplinary inspector investigated the incident under Article 14 of its regulations, which cover racism and other discriminatory conduct. Uefa said three of the six matches are suspended for two years, softening the immediate impact of a punishment that still ranks among its more serious responses to abuse on the field.

One match has already been served. Prestianni sat out Benfica’s second leg against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu on February 25, after Uefa provisionally suspended him two days earlier and then dismissed Benfica’s appeal. The case grew out of the first leg in Lisbon on February 17, when play was briefly halted after Vinícius Júnior said he had been subjected to discriminatory abuse following his goal in Real Madrid’s 1-0 win.

Reporting on Uefa’s decision said Prestianni reportedly used the homophobic slur “maricón” toward Vinícius Júnior. Benfica had defended the player earlier in the process, but the club later said it had been notified of the final sanction. The remaining two matches of the ban would have to be served in Uefa competition, or with the Argentina national team if he is selected for matches that fall under the federation’s disciplinary reach.

The case is a clear test of whether European football’s disciplinary system is becoming more serious about discriminatory conduct, or simply more procedural. Uefa moved quickly once the allegation surfaced, with a provisional suspension on February 23 and an appeals-body ruling on February 25, but the structure of the final punishment leaves room for debate. A six-game ban sends a message; suspending half of it for two years also tells players and clubs that the cost may be delayed, not immediate.

That matters for Benfica as much as for Prestianni. The club has already been eliminated from European competition, so the most visible part of the sanction will not be felt in a current Uefa campaign. If the point is to change behavior in the heat of a match and culture in the dressing room, the question is whether a deferred penalty is enough to do it.