With the Gianluca Prestianni-Vinícius Júnior case still simmering, the competition doesn’t stop. On Saturday at Estádio da Luz, Benfica hosts AVS in a key Portuguese league match - and they’ll do so without the Argentine.
Prestianni is set to serve a Primeira Liga suspension that will prevent him from being available for José Mourinho against AVS. The winger picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in last Friday’s match against Santa Clara and must now see out a one‑game ban.
The 20-year-old earned the suspension when he was booked for not leaving the field quickly enough after Mourinho moved to substitute him in the 90th minute. Benfica were leading Santa Clara 2-1, and Prestianni tried to kill a few extra seconds to help his team close out the win. The referee didn’t hesitate and showed him the yellow card - one that now rules him out of the AVS clash.
Will Prestianni miss the UCL second leg?
That means he won’t get any minutes before Wednesday’s visit to Real Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League knockout-round playoffs. If involved, Prestianni will undoubtedly be at the center of attention when the Portuguese side travels to Madrid next week. According to Record, the Argentine is unfazed by the pressure of going to the Bernabéu. The Portuguese outlet reports that he has no fear of the potentially hostile atmosphere awaiting him in Spain and is fully prepared to make the trip.
What remains to be seen is how far UEFA’s Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector goes in response to Vinícius’s allegations of racist abuse by the Argentine - and whether the case will be resolved before the second leg, potentially resulting in a suspension for Prestianni. Madrid has submitted all the evidence in its possession to UEFA.
Mou sidesteps media
In this tense climate, Mourinho’s words to the media could prove decisive. But once again, the Portuguese manager is sidestepping questions.
Benfica has announced that Mourinho will only speak to the club’s own channel. His appearance is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. ET on Friday. So anyone wanting to hear what the Portuguese coach has to say ahead of the AVS match - and whether he addresses any further what happened in the tie against Madrid - will have to wait for the BTV broadcast. It’s not a new situation, as Mourinho has chosen this approach several times already this season in Benfica’s pre‑match media duties.
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