Following accusations of racism against Vinicius Jr. during Real Madrid’s victory against Benfica on Tuesday, Kylian Mbappe feels Gianluca Prestianni ought to be disqualified from the UEFA Champions League.
After Real Madrid defeated Benfica 1-0 in the first leg of the 2026 UEFA Champions League knockout phase playoffs, Kylian Mbappe didn’t hold back. He asked the governing body to ban Gianluca Prestianni for allegedly being racist to Vinicius Jr., who left the field and forced the game to be stopped in the second half.
“Prestianni should never play in the Champions League again. We have to set an example for all the children who look up to us; there are things we can’t accept,” Mbappe said.
“I have nothing against Benfica, the club, or its coach, who for me is one of the best, and the club is the best in Portugal and one of the best in history. But this kid Prestianni does not deserve to play in the Champions League anymore.”
Following the event, Mbappe wasn’t the only one to voice their opinions. During his postgame press conference, Federico Valverde took aim at UEFA and Prestianni and instantly defended Vinicius.
Initially concentrating on the return leg versus Benfica at the Santiago Bernabeu, Vinicius sent out a four-word statement. However, he eventually addressed the contentious issue as well, calling Prestianni a “coward” in a lengthy statement.
Mbappe wants UEFA to take action against Prestianni
Vinicius, who claimed to have been subjected to racist remarks by Prestianni, demanded that the racism protocol be used shortly after he scored the first goal at Estadio da Luz. Before play restarted, the Champions League match was halted for a short while.
“Did Prestianni apologize? Did you see his face? An apology? We’re not stupid. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I don’t let that kind of thing slide. This player is young, how can you say these things on a soccer field? Now we have to see what happens,” Mbappe continued.
“I asked Vini what he wanted to do. Whatever he wants to do, we’ll do it as a team. We’ll never leave Vini alone. We’ve supported our player. If something like that happens to you, how would you feel?
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“After Vini’s goal and the celebration, Benfica’s number 25, I won’t say his name because he doesn’t deserve to have me say his name out loud, started using some unacceptable words. He called Vini a m*nkey five times. Five times!,” Mbappe said, echoing what Aurelien Tchouameni revealed about Prestianni’s alleged words towards Vinicius.
The Frenchman was clearly mad at Prestianni as chaos broke out on the pitch. He is still upset about what happened and made it clear that Prestianni should be punished for what he said to have done, even though Jose Mourinho sent a strong message to support his Benfica player.
“You have the best cameras. Analyze his face. He covered his face so we can’t read his lips. His face does not lie. This guy is not my fellow professional. Not this type of human,” Mbappe said.
