Prestianni's Benfica career 'over' if abuse proven

"If my player did not respect these principles, which are mine and Benfica's as well, then that player's career with a coach named Jose Mourinho and at a club named Benfica will come to an end. I am not a scholar, but I am not ignorant either. The presumption of innocence is a human right, isn't it?"

"I stand by my opinion. If the player is indeed guilty, I will never look at him the way I looked at him before, and with me, it's over. But I have to put many 'ifs' in front of it."

"As has already been made public, the player apologised to his team-mates for the incident that occurred during the match against Real Madrid, regretting its magnitude and consequences and assuring everyone, as he has done from the very beginning, that he is not racist."

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho addressed accusations against 20-year-old Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni, who was accused by Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. of racial abuse during a Champions League match on February 17. Prestianni denies the allegations and received a provisional one-match ban pending a full investigation. Mourinho stated he is completely opposed to discrimination and declared that if Prestianni is found guilty, his career at Benfica under Mourinho will end. However, Mourinho emphasized the importance of presumption of innocence. Benfica categorically denied reports that Prestianni admitted to racist behavior, stating he apologized for the incident's magnitude while maintaining he is not racist.

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