UEFA provisionally suspend Prestianni pending discrimination investigation

UEFA have provisionally suspended SL Benfica forward Gianluca Prestianni for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible, pending the conclusion of an ongoing disciplinary investigation.In an official statement, UEFA said the decision followed the appointment of a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour during the Champions League 2025/26 knock-out play-off match between Benfica and Real Madrid on 17 February 2026.UEFA said the provisional suspension was imposed by the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body after a request from the inspector accompanied by an interim report.The governing body said the measure relates to a prima facie violation of Article 14 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, which covers discriminatory behaviour.UEFA said the one-match suspension is provisional and “without prejudice” to any later ruling that may be made once the investigation is completed and submitted to UEFA’s disciplinary bodies.That means the temporary sanction applies immediately, but the final outcome of the case – including whether any further punishment is imposed or no further action is taken – will be decided after the disciplinary process is completed.UEFA added that further information on the case will be made available in due course.The decision means Prestianni is set to miss Benfica’s next UEFA club fixture while the investigation remains ongoing.