Overview
- UEFA appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector after the February 17 tie in Lisbon and provisionally suspended Gianluca Prestianni for the second leg in Madrid.
- José Mourinho, previously criticised for his initial remarks, now says he opposes all discrimination and will not select Prestianni again if the allegations are proven.
- Prestianni denies using a racist slur, and Benfica rejects reports that he privately admitted doing so to teammates or staff.
- Limited audio or video evidence complicates the case as Prestianni covered his mouth during the exchange, while Kylian Mbappé said he heard the slur.
- If the investigator substantiates discriminatory conduct under Article 14, Prestianni faces a multi‑match ban reported to start at 10 games, after the match referee had already activated anti‑racism protocols on the night.