UEFA has issued an official statement today in response to the racial abuse incident involving Real Madrid’s Vinícius Junior and Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.
The European football governing body announced it is launching a formal investigation into claims that Vinicius was racially abused during the Champions League playoff Round of 16 playoffs first leg tie against Benfica.
In their statement, UEFA said they have brought in an “Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector” to look into what happened during the encounter.
Vinícius had claimed that Prestianni directed multiple racial insults towards him, while his teammate Kylian Mbappe corroborated by stating he heard the term ‘monkey’ aimed at Vinícius on five occasions.
In response, Prestianni took to social media to refute the allegations, insisting that his words were misinterpreted.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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