UEFA accepts shocking testimony that Vinicius Jr should not be called 'monkey'

Gianluca Prestianni provided testimony in UEFA's probe concerning accusations that he engaged in racial discrimination against Vinicius Júnior in the Champions League playoff between Real Madrid and Benfica this week, ESPN reports.

The European football governing body is conducting an inquiry into the incident which took place in the second half at Estadio da Luz (Lisbon, Portugal) on Tuesday, following a tense moment after Vinícius scored the only goal of the match.

Real Madrid's forward accused Prestianni of using racist language towards him while he covered his face with his jersey, causing the game to be paused for 10 minutes before resuming.

Sources from ESPN revealed that the 20-year-old Argentine player stated that he used a Spanish slang term that is homophobic rather than saying “mono” (which means “monkey” in Spanish) when addressing Vinícius..

Right after the match, Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni told Spanish television that Prestianni had given this explanation when questioned about the incident. Real Madrid submitted a dossier containing “all available evidence” to UEFA to support the ongoing investigation.

Forward Kylian Mbappe also recounted what he heard and witnessed after the match, stating that he heard Prestianni use racist language towards Vinícius up to five times. Mbappe said: “I heard it. Some Benfica players heard it too.”

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa called for Prestianni to be punished during a Friday press conference and expressed hope that the case would become a “turning point” in the fight against racism in football.

Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations states that penalties for racism and homophobia are the same.

The regulation specifies: “Any organization or individual under these regulations who insults the dignity of a person or group for any reason, including skin color, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation, shall face a suspension of at least 10 matches or for a defined period, or other appropriate disciplinary measures.”