The 20-year-old Argentine told investigators that he used a homophobic slur against Vinicius, not the racial insult initially reported. Tempers flared on the halfway line just before play resumed, prompting the referee to activate UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. Ramadan: Cristiano Ronaldo stopped fasting after only two days – SharahiliThe resulting 10-minute delay saw Vinicius sit on the Real Madrid bench while officials reviewed the situation. After the match, Prestianni denied ever being racist, stating:“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard. UEFA has since launched a formal investigation to determine the full context, including Prestianni’s newly revealed confession about the homophobic slur.

Source: GhanaWeb February 21, 2026 12:57 UTC