Uefa rejects Benfica appeal over Prestianni ban

"The Argentine winger was handed a provisional one-match ban after Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr reported alleged racist abuse during last week's 1-0 defeat in a knockout round play-off first leg. Benfica said they would appeal the decision, but accepted it was unlikely to have any practical effect before Wednesday's return at the Bernabeu."

"Uefa has imposed the ban on a provisional basis, pending the result of a full investigation by an ethics and disciplinary inspector, and further punishment could still be handed out to the 20-year-old. However, European football's governing body said there was enough evidence to adequately support a prima facie case against him in relation to the use of discriminatory language."

Gianluca Prestianni, Benfica's Argentine winger, received a provisional one-match ban after Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr reported alleged racist abuse during their 1-0 defeat in the Champions League knockout play-off first leg. Benfica appealed the suspension but acknowledged the appeal was unlikely to succeed before Wednesday's return match at the Bernabéu. UEFA's Appeals Body rejected the appeal, maintaining the provisional ban based on sufficient evidence supporting a prima facie case of discriminatory language. Prestianni remains suspended for the next European club competition match. A full investigation by an ethics and disciplinary inspector continues, with potential for additional punishment.

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