Khaberni - The UEFA Appeals Committee rejected the appeal submitted by Benfica against the temporary suspension of their player Gianluca Prestiani, suspected of directing racist insults during his team's match against Real Madrid, which ended with the latter's victory by a goal.
The French newspaper L'Equipe reported that according to this decision, Prestiani will not participate in the return match scheduled for Wednesday evening.
It added that Prestiani, who UEFA decided to temporarily suspend after the first leg match held last Tuesday, was hoping to start in the return match in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
The report noted that the Portuguese club appealed against the disciplinary committee's penalty of the European Football Association and requested a suspension of the ban pending resolution of the case. However, the UEFA Appeals Committee rejected this appeal on Wednesday afternoon.
The Argentine player Prestiani faces accusations of calling Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior a "monkey," which will prevent him from participating in the return match in the playoff qualifying for the round of 16 in the Champions League. L'Equipe concluded that a final decision in Prestiani's case will be issued in the coming period, and that the Benfica player is threatened with a suspension for no less than 10 matches.
