Connect with us

Sports

Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni handed provisional ban over Vinicius Jr racism incident in Champions League

Published

2 hours ago

on

Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has been suspended for one game while Uefa investigates allegations that the 20-year-old racially abused Real Madrid’s Vincius Jr in their Champions League play-off first leg.

Prestianni was seen holding his shirt over his mouth during a heated exchange with Madrid players following Vinicius’s second-half goal. The Brazilian winger rushed to the referee to report what he claimed was racist abuse, which teammate Kylian Mbappe later said he also heard.

The French official, Francois Letexier, paused the match for 11 minutes after activating Fifa’s anti-racism protocols, but the action later continued with Prestianni on the field. Fans inside the Estadio Da Luz loudly booed and jeered Vinicius throughout the remainder of the game, as Real Madrid saw out a 1-0 victory.

Prestianni’s manager, Jose Mourinho, blamed Vinicius for “inciting” Benfica’s players with his exuberant goal celebration, while Prestianni denied he had used racist language, claiming he had been misheard while using a homophobic slur.

Mbappe said Prestianni did not deserve to play in the Santiago Bernabeu, where Madrid will host Benfica for the second leg on Wednesday evening. And now the Argentine will not be involved after being handed a provisional one-match ban.

Advertisement

Uefa said in a statement: “Following the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector (EDI) to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 Knock-out Play-off match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF on 17 February 2026, and upon request of the EDI with an interim report, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) today decided to provisionally suspend Mr. Gianluca Prestianni for the next (1) UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible for the prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) related to a discriminatory behaviour.

“This is without prejudice to any ruling that the UEFA disciplinary bodies may subsequently make following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and its respective submission to the UEFA disciplinary bodies.

“Further information about this matter will be made available in due course.”

more to follow…

Advertisement

Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Cavaliers Exposed Again in Loss to Shorthanded Thunder

Published

1 minute ago

on

23 February 2026

By

Jan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesJan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It’s irresponsible to speak in broad generalities when discussing a team’s performance, but it’s happened too many times for it to be a fluke. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a culture of playing soft in big games.

Leading the way in the NBA Sunday slate, the Cavs were looking to build off their seven-game win streak by beating up on an injured Thunder team in Oklahoma City. This wasn’t just some role players out for the Thunder, either; they were missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, arguably the two best players on the Thunder.

For the third time in a row, the Thunder absolutely dominated the Cavs. Culturally, something is off with Cleveland when they face OKC. They play such a scared style of basketball, and put themselves behind the eight ball time and time again. They fell behind 28-5 in this one and showed some grit to take the lead at times in the second half, but lost it with a terrible 4th-quarter performance.

It wasn’t all on the Cavs; the refs missed some crucial calls that flipped momentum in this one, the most egregious being a goaltend by Chet Holmgren that turned into a three on the other end for the Thunder.

Advertisement

However, it would be beyond stupid to blame this loss on the refs. Donovan Mitchell had a solid game, but has continued to find his jumper in big games for Cleveland, finishing 0/6 from three. He and James Harden both finished with 20 points apiece, but they combined for 8 turnovers, allowing the Thunder’s defense to control the pace from start to finish.

Once again, the biggest issues for Cleveland came from the front court. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were thoroughly outphysicalled by Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Those two were a +17 and +23, respectively, and that’s exactly what you saw while watching the game.

They provided way more defensive rim protection for the Thunder and took over the game late in the 4th quarter when it was needed. Both Holmgren and Hartenstein took turns picking on Jarrett Allen, and he looked like he didn’t belong on the court because of it. Cleveland continues to struggle with physical centers, and it showed up as a massive issue in the 4th quarter of a very winnable game.

Another flaw that has plagued the Cavs all season is their three-point defense. They are 27th in the NBA in opponent three-point percent, and the Thunder took advantage of that weakness, knocking down twenty-one from beyond the arc.

Advertisement

Cleveland had been one of the hottest teams in the league going into this one, but they went away from everything that made them the hottest team in the league. They settled for way too many threes; the guards did not apply enough consistent rim pressure; and the bigs were forgotten about once OKC started knocking down some shots.

I’ll never understand how a team can look so impressive some nights, then immediately regress to the same flawed version of themselves that we see every time an opponent is chippy with them. I’m not sure if there is a fix for that type of mental issue without having to reconstruct the roster in the offseason.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

UEFA suspends Prestianni after accusation he racially abused Vinicius Junior

Published

15 minutes ago

on

23 February 2026

By

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA said on Monday it has provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one match following accusations he racially abused Vinícius Júnior.

The decision means that Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s second leg of the Champions League playoff between Real Madrid and Benfica. Madrid won the first match in Lisbon last Tuesday with Vinícius scoring a second-half winner for a 1-0 victory.

The game was halted for nearly 10 minutes after the Brazil forward scored and celebrated by the Benfica corner flag, upsetting local fans and players. After being confronted by Prestianni, Vinícius accused the Argentine player of calling him “monkey.” Prestianni has denied racially insulting Vinícius.

The anti-racism protocol was activated but no further action was taken during the match as there was no evidence against Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt while talking to Vinícius. The Madrid forward was shown a yellow card after his celebration.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

3 Reasons why this is the perfect time for Charlotte Flair to betray Alexa Bliss

Published

28 minutes ago

on

23 February 2026

By

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss formed an unlikely alliance last year, and it has been fruitful for them. Not many expected The Queen to work side by side with another star, but she has surprised many by forming a successful team with Bliss.

However, all good things must eventually come to an end, as cracks have started to form in the friendship between Flair and Bliss. Given The Queen’s history, it’s more than likely that she would be the one to turn on Little Miss Bliss.

With Elimination Chamber coming up, now would be the perfect time for Flair to betray her partner. Let’s look at three reasons for it.

WWE Just Spoiled Masked Man’s Identity? Check Here!

#3. The “Royal” mishap

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair had an unfortunate accident at the Royal Rumble. During the titular women’s match, Flair eliminated Bliss. While it looked unintentional, one can never be sure when it comes to The Queen.

Advertisement

The mishap in Saudi Arabia has caused friction between the two. While they are still together, it might not last long. With growing tensions, now would be the perfect time for the Triple H-led creative team to have Charlotte betray Alexa.

#2. Alexa Bliss has qualified for the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match; Charlotte Flair has not

After failing to win the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair attempted to punch their WrestleMania 42 ticket by potentially winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match.

Advertisement

However, while Bliss successfully qualified for the gimmick match, Flair didn’t. This could escalate the tensions between them, especially if Little Miss Bliss rubs it in The Queen’s face. The natural progression of this storyline would be to have Charlotte turn on Alexa.

#1. The Queen could take her partner’s place in the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

Charlotte Flair has a special relationship with gold, which likely trumps any other relationship she has, including the one with Alexa Bliss. With the Five Feet of Fury competing in the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match, The Queen isn’t someone who would sit on the sidelines and watch.

Flair could find a way in the match at any cost. If she has to take out her partner to make it inside the steel structure on February 28, then that’s what she will do. Jealousy would be the driving factor behind the 14-time Women’s Champion’s actions.