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

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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.

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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…

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Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo, Dakota Joshua done for season

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Berube also added that no surgery is required for the players. All three players were injured during Wednesday’s loss to Washington.

However, Berube noted that Stolarz’s injury is serious enough that it may impact his off-season.

Stolarz exited the Capitals game in pain due to a lower-body injury suffered after making a save.

The 32-year-old goalie has been plagued by injuries throughout his entire career, and was limited to just 26 contests this season after appearing in a career-high 34 last season.

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Stolarz posted an .893 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average this season, and signed a four-year, $15-million extension that kicks in July 1.

Joshua also suffered an upper-body injury after crashing into the boards following a collision with Rasmus Sandin in the second period.

The 29-year-old, who was acquired in the off-season from Vancouver, totalled 10 goals and eight assists this year. He played in only 55 games, though, as he also dealt with injuries early in the season.

Carlo, meanwhile, suffered a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old’s play has been under a microscope all season due to the exorbitant price the Maple Leafs paid for his services at the trade deadline last season.

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He has seven assists in 55 games this season, and registered 10 total points – all assists – in 88 combined regular season and playoff contests with Toronto over the last year-and-a-half.

The Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers on Saturday (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT, Sportsnet+) in a battle for last place in the Atlantic Division.

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Carlos Alcaraz’s SF opponent Valentin Vacherot shares romantic kiss with girlfriend after making history at Monte-Carlo Masters

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Valentin Vacherot created history on Friday as he became the first Monegasque player at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters to reach the semi-finals after defeating Alex de Minaur in the fifth seed after a gruelling 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Following the victory, Vacherot’s girlfriend Emily Snyyder shared a romantic moment with the Monégasque star that she shared on her socials. The 27-year-old will be facing Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals in the Principality.

“It is such an honour to be part of the semi-finals with the three best players of the past few years…I can’t wait to play Carlos tomorrow in my hometown, it is amazing.” – Vacherot commented on his upcoming SF matchup against regning World No. 1 at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

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When Valentin Vacherot marked a career milestone on Friday, his partner Emily was by his side. Soon after his victory, the couple shared a celebratory kiss, which she later posted on her social media, accompanied by an emotional reaction.

Valentin Vacherot shares romantic moment with his girlfriend Emily Snyder after historic win in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters QF gameValentin Vacherot shares romantic moment with his girlfriend Emily Snyder after historic win in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters QF game
Valentin Vacherot shares romantic moment with his girlfriend Emily Snyder after historic win in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters QF game

Subsequently, Emily shared two other moments from Vacherot’s historic run with heartwarming captions. One of the posts captures the tennis star’s family’s reaction to his magnificent quarter-final win, whereas the other captures Vacherot’s post-game moment.

Valentin Vacherot's girlfriend Emily shares celebratory moments after quarter final victory at the Rolex Monte-Carlo MastersValentin Vacherot's girlfriend Emily shares celebratory moments after quarter final victory at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters
Valentin Vacherot’s girlfriend Emily shares celebratory moments after quarter final victory at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters

“ABSOLUTE CINEMA” – Valentin Vacherot’s girlfriend Emily captioned her post on IG.

After Valentin Vacherot bagged the Rolex Shanghai Masters title last September, Emily has been his biggest cheerleader. Friday’s victory is marked as extremely special for the couple, as the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters venue happens to be within walking distance of where their love story began four years ago.

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Valentin Vacherot climbs up to No. 17 in PIF ATP live rankings as he is set to face World No. 1 in SF at the Monte-Carlo Masters

Valentin has been on a roll since he bagged three-set victories against Hubert Hurkacz Juan, and Manuel Cerundolo earlier this week, while he crushed a big win against fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti in three straight sets. The Monégasque star played red-hot tennis and secured runs just eight months after his dominating triumph in Shanghai.

“All the guys in the crowd chanting, they are my best friends from when I was nine, 10 years old. It is rare for a player to have this chance to have this many people around. The members sat in the boxes. I am so lucky to have a tournament in my club.” – Vacherot spoke in an emotional moment.

Vacherot now turns his focus to the upcoming semi-final, where he will be facing the reigning World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte-Carlo Masters