Jose Mourinho says Gianluca Prestianni’s Benfica career ‘over’ if alleged racist abuse proven

Jose Mourinho has said Gianluca Prestianni’s Benfica career will be “over” if he is found to have racially abused Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.

Vinicius Jr alleged that he was racially abused by Prestianni during the first leg of the Champions League play-off last month. Prestianni, 20, has denied racially abusing the Brazil forward.

After the match, Mourinho said he had reminded Vinicius Jr that “the biggest person in the history of (Benfica)” — referring to their legendary forward Eusebio — “is Black” and said that “every stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens”.

On Sunday, Mourinho said “there were a lot of ‘ifs'” regarding what Prestianni had allegedly said and the Benfica head coach reiterated that he “completely renounced any type of discrimination or prejudice, of ignorance or idiocy.”

“I also say that if — and, I repeat, if — my player did not respect those principles — which are my principles and those of Benfica, too, then that player’s career under Jose Mourinho and at Benfica is over,” Mourinho told a press conference.

The 63-year-old added: “Is the presumption of innocence a human right or not? If you want me to repeat my repudiation (of discrimination) 20 times, I will say it 20 times. But I continue with my ‘if’.

“Unfortunately, UEFA, to stop the player appearing in the match, discovered Article 426,328, which was there, hidden away, as a reason for suspending him.

“They went in that direction of not adding the ‘if’ that they should have. I continue with my ‘if’. If the player is was actually culpable, I won’t look at him in the same way again. And with me, he’s done. But there are a lot of ‘ifs’ first.”

On Friday, Benfica said it had suspended five club members for acts of “a racist nature” during their tie in Lisbon on February 17.

The game was stopped for around eight minutes after Vinicius Jr, 25, alleged that Prestianni had racially abused him following the Brazilian’s second-half goal. After speaking to Vinicius Jr, referee Francois Letexier signalled the start of FIFA’s racial abuse protocol by crossing his wrists above his head.

The following day, UEFA — European football’s governing body, which organises the Champions League — confirmed it would be opening an investigation into the alleged offence, which carries a minimum suspension length of 10 games if proven.

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