The Benfica striker denied the accusations, questioned the sanction he received and pointed to the Brazilian and Mbappé for what happened
“I have had colleagues of the same skin color as Vinícius, and nothing ever happened to any of them, quite the contrary. Then they started calling me a homophobe too, which was too much. I felt like people were only trying to create drama because of things that weren't true. For us Argentines, words like 'fagon' or 'fagon' are common insults. But fortunately the team and the coaching staff supported me, so that gave me peace of mind,” he said
After the resounding victory of the Argentine National Team 5-0 against Zambia, Gianluca Prestianni broke his silence on the complaint of alleged racism against Vinícius Jr in the first leg between Benfica and Real Madrid for the Champions League playoffs
.“I thought about my mom, dad and grandparents having to hear so many things that I'm not and didn't happen. I'm one thing, because I'm a soccer player and I'm used to things being talked about, but they're another thing,” said Prestianni, who didn't add up minutes on this FIFA date, in an
interview with Telefe.
"What hurt me the most was being accused of something I never did. But luckily, I'm very calm because everyone who knows me knows what kind of person I am and that's enough for me
,” said the former Vélez. In that regard, the striker also regretted not being able to play the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu and questioned UEFA's decision to sanction him preemptively: “Not playing the second leg hurt me a lot. They punished me for something I didn't say. They treated me and sanctioned me without proof. But it's over.”On the other hand, the attacker referred to the cross he later had with Kylian Mbappé: “Mbappé calling me a 'shitty racist'? It's an insult to call someone a racist when I've never been and never will be.” He added: “Obviously, I was trying to provoke myself during the game. I never wanted to react, and I won't.”
Prestianni also valued the support received in the midst of the controversy: “I am very grateful to the club, they believed in me and supported me in everything. My colleagues showed me their support in private, and that means a lot more to me than posting a story on Instagram
.” He even revealed that he spoke to coach José Mourinho and the rest of the squad to clarify what happened in the face of rumors that circulated in the locker room.Beyond the controversy, the young soccer player seeks to leave the episode behind and focus on his sporting growth, while insisting on his innocence and questioning the treatment he received during the conflict.
