SL Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has received a provisional one-match suspension after allegations of racist abuse were made by Vinícius Júnior during last week’s Champions League encounter.
The Real Madrid CF forward reported the alleged incident to referee François Letexier during the first leg of the knockout play-off tie in Lisbon.
In a statement released on Monday, UEFA confirmed that a provisional suspension has been imposed on Prestianni pending the outcome of an investigation by an ethics and disciplinary inspector.
European football’s governing body added that additional sanctions could follow once the investigation is completed.
The return leg between Real Madrid and Benfica is scheduled to take place in Madrid on Wednesday at 20:00 GMT.
Vinícius Júnior has previously been subjected to racist abuse in Spain, and the latest allegation has once again drawn attention to how football authorities address racism in European competitions.
