Gianluca Prestianni hit with six-match ban for ‘homophobic conduct’ towards Vinícius Júnior

The Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni has been given a six-match ban after being found guilty of homophobic conduct towards Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, with three of those suspended for a two-year period.

The ban includes the one match Prestianni served as a provisional suspension in February, so unless he triggers the suspended three-match ban, he will be sidelined only for two further games.

Vinícius alleged he was racially abused during the knockout playoff round match between the sides in Lisbon on 17 February. Uefa appointed an ethics and disciplinary investigator, who concluded Prestianni’s conduct was homophobic rather than racist. Uefa said it had requested that Fifa extend the ban worldwide.

It was reported in February that Prestianni had told Uefa he had used a homophobic slur rather than a racist one. Vinícius temporarily left the field after Prestianni’s comments, resulting in a stoppage that lasted 10 minutes.

The incident could spark a law change, with the International Football Association Board (Ifab) due to meet in Canada next week, before the Fifa Congress, to consider how players are dealt with if they cover their mouths to talk to an opponent in a confrontation.

The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, said last month that a red card should result, telling Sky News: “If a player covers his mouth and says something, and this has a racist consequence, then he has to be sent off, obviously. There must be a presumption that he has said something he shouldn’t have said, otherwise he wouldn’t have had to cover his mouth.”

Article 14 of Uefa’s disciplinary regulations state that “any entity or person subject to these regulations who insults the human dignity of a person or group of persons on whatever grounds, including skin colour, race, religion, ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation, incurs a suspension lasting at least 10 matches or a specified period of time, or any other appropriate sanction”.

Uefa has not published the reasoning of its control, ethics and disciplinary board (CEDB) in reaching the sanction announced for Prestianni.

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