Benfica coach Jose Mourinho says Gianluca Prestianni’s career under him will be “over” if he is found guilty of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.
Prestianni, 20, was accused by Vinicius during their Champions League match in Lisbon on 17 February. The Argentine denies the allegation but has been given a provisional one-match ban by Uefa while a full investigation continues. He could face further punishment.
Mourinho said he strongly opposes any form of racism or discrimination. He added that if Prestianni is proven guilty, he will not continue playing under him at Benfica. However, Mourinho also stressed the importance of the presumption of innocence.
Benfica have denied reports that Prestianni admitted using racist language. The club said the player apologised for the incident but insists he is not racist.
In the second leg in Madrid, Vinicius scored again as Real Madrid won 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate to progress.
