Gianluca Prestianni has been handed a six-game ban by UEFA due to his alleged discriminatory behavior towards Vinicius Junior. The Real Madrid forward had accused Prestianni of racial abuse during their Champions League match in February, but UEFA's investigation concluded that the conduct was homophobic in nature. As a result, Prestianni will serve a six-game suspension, with three of those games being suspended for a period of two years.
The ban also takes into account the one-game provisional suspension he served in February. Unless Prestianni triggers the suspended portion of his ban, he will only miss two additional games. Following the incident, UEFA launched an investigation and appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator. The governing body has requested that FIFA extend the ban worldwide.
It was previously reported that Prestianni had admitted to using a homophobic slur, rather than a racial one, during the incident. The confrontation led to a 10-minute stoppage in play after Vinicius Jr refused to continue playing. The incident may lead to a change in the laws of the game, with the International Football Association Board set to discuss the issue at their upcoming meeting in Canada.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested that players who cover their mouths to speak to an opponent should be given a red card if their actions have racist consequences.