Gianluca Prestianni insists on innocence in Vinicius racism accusation, says homophobic insult is ‘normal’
Gianluca Prestianni insists on innocence in Vinicius racism accusation, says homophobic insult is ‘normal’ Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has insisted that he is innocent of the racism charge levelled at him. Vinicius Junior accused him of using the racist insult ‘monkey’ during a Champions League clash, and UEFA followed through with a temporary ban, as they investigate the incident. The images of Prestianni’s abuse for Vinicius traveled the world, but the Argentina winger claims that his abuse was homophobic rather than racist.
The Brazilian’s story has been backed up by Kylian Mbappe though, who says that he heard Prestianni’s words. ‘I was punished for something I didn’t say’ During an interview with Telefe in Argentina, Prestianni maintained that he was punished unfairly. “Luckily, I’m very calm because everyone who knows me knows what kind of person I am and that’s enough for me.
I’m very grateful to the club as well, they believed in me and supported me in every way. My teammates showed me their support behind closed doors, and that means much more to me than posting an Instagram story. ” “Not playing the second leg hurt me a lot.
I was punished for something I didn’t say. I was treated and sanctioned without proof. But it’s over now.
I’m very grateful to the team and the Benfica coaching staff, who waited until the last minute to see if I could play. I’m really thankful for that. ” “I spoke with Mourinho, just like I did with my teammates, to reassure them that nothing had actually happened, because there were a lot of rumors outside and my teammates might have been confused.