Overview
- At a Sunday press conference, José Mourinho condemned discrimination and said Gianluca Prestianni would be finished under him and at Benfica if investigators prove racist abuse of Vinícius Júnior.
- Mourinho stressed presumption of innocence and criticized UEFA’s handling of the case, arguing the provisional action lacked the necessary conditionality.
- UEFA has opened an ethics and disciplinary investigation and provisionally suspended Prestianni from the second leg of the tie.
- Prestianni and Benfica deny a racist slur, with the club saying the player apologized to teammates for the incident’s fallout while maintaining he is not racist.
- The dispute stems from the first-leg flashpoint that halted play under UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, with potential sanctions reported to include a lengthy ban if discriminatory abuse is proven.