Benfica on Wednesday voiced their support for Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni after he was accused of racially abusing Vinicius Junior during Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg against Real Madrid.

UEFA confirmed that an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate the allegations of discriminatory behaviour raised by Real Madrid following the 1-0 win at the Estadio da Luz.

Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt while speaking during a heated exchange with Vinicius — a gesture often used by players to prevent lip-reading. Vinicius and several Real teammates interpreted the comment as a racial slur directed at the Brazilian forward.

The incident led to an 11-minute suspension of the match after the referee activated UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. Vinicius later scored the decisive goal in the second half.

In a show of support, Benfica posted “Together by your side” on their official X account, alongside a previous quote from Prestianni’s Instagram. The club also released a video which it claimed demonstrated that Real Madrid players were too far away to have clearly heard what was said.

Prestianni denied the accusation in a statement on social media. “I’d like to clarify that at no point did I make racist insults towards Vinicius Jr, who sadly misunderstood what he thinks he heard,” he wrote. “I’ve never been racist toward anyone and I deplore the threats I received by Real Madrid players.”

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho suggested Vinicius may have incited the crowd but admitted he did not know which version of events was accurate.

The controversy has reignited debate around racism in football, an issue that has repeatedly affected Vinicius during his time in Spain.

Former Benfica captain Luisao publicly defended Vinicius, saying he was ashamed by what he described as a “racist act.” The Brazilian added that Prestianni’s denial made matters worse “because it’s a lie,” and stressed that Benfica players must uphold the values required to wear the club’s shirt.

UEFA’s investigation is ongoing, with potential disciplinary action to follow if charges are upheld.