THE REJECTED APPEAL: WHY UEFA OFFICIALLY DISMISSED BENFICA'S FIGHT TO SAVE GIANLUCA PRESTIANNI
Appeal failed: Discover why UEFA dismissed Benfica's attempt to play Gianluca Prestianni against Real Madrid in the UCL.
Benfica’s appeal to overturn Gianluca Prestianni’s suspension has been shot down, so the young Argentine winger will miss Wednesday night’s Champions League play-off second leg against Real Madrid. Prestianni, just 20, stands accused of racially abusing Vinicius Junior in last week’s first-leg clash.
The controversy began when Prestianni was caught on camera covering his mouth with his shirt while speaking to Vinicius. Vinicius reacted quickly, alerting referee François Letexier, who then triggered UEFA’s anti-racism protocol. The match paused for ten minutes before play resumed.
Benfica have backed Prestianni throughout, insisting Vinicius misunderstood him. Manager Jose Mourinho stirred up even more debate after the game, bizarrely claiming the club couldn’t be racist because legendary Benfica striker Eusebio was Black. A lot of people in European football weren’t impressed with that comment.
In a new twist, reports on Tuesday suggested Prestianni’s defence would argue he used a homophobic slur instead of a racist one, saying Vinicius provoked him by mocking his height. Of course, UEFA’s anti-discrimination rules cover homophobic language too, and if Prestianni is found guilty, he faces a lengthy ban.
Despite Benfica’s best efforts, UEFA rejected their appeal. The governing body said in a statement: “The appeal lodged by SL Benfica is dismissed. Consequently, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body’s decision of 23 February 2026 is confirmed. Mr Gianluca Prestianni remains provisionally suspended for the next UEFA club competition match for which he would otherwise be eligible.”
Prestianni trained at the Bernabeu with his teammates in the build-up to the match, but he won’t take the field, and it’s not clear if he’ll even be in the stands. He also sat out Benfica’s 3-0 win over AVS Futebol SAD over the weekend.
Following the incident, several Real Madrid players expressed their support for Vinicius. Their manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, called on UEFA to take stronger action against racism. “We have a great opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism,” he said. “UEFA, which has always led this fight, can do much more than just put up banners. I really hope they seize the moment. For us, our focus stays on playing football well, getting the result we want, and putting all our energy on the pitch. The rest is for UEFA to handle.”
Vinicius, who scored the only goal of the first leg with a stunning strike, will be crucial for Real Madrid as they try to book a place in the last 16. With Kylian Mbappé out injured, Madrid will lean on Vinicius even more. He’s in great form, too; he scored again on Saturday, making it five goals in his last four matches. Still, Madrid slipped up, losing 2-1 to Osasuna, which means they’re back behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race by a single point after 25 games.
If Real Madrid get past Benfica, they’ll meet either Manchester City or Sporting CP in the next round. The draw for the rest of the knockout stages is set for Friday.
THE CAMP NOU CURSE: DIEGO SIMEONE SECURES FIRST-EVER WIN AT BARCELONA AFTER 14 YEARS IN CHARGE
Diego Simeone makes history at Camp Nou. Read why Barcelona face a "massive task" after the 2-0 UCL first-leg loss.
Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth fired Atletico Madrid into a strong position with a 2-0 win over 10-man Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday night. Barcelona seemed to have the upper hand at Camp Nou at least until Pau Cubarsi brought down Giuliano Simeone, who was clear through on goal. The ref initially showed Cubarsi a yellow, but after checking VAR, he switched it to a red. Alvarez then curled in the free kick, and with 20 minutes left, Sorloth added a second. Suddenly, Atletico looked well on their way to the semi-finals.
Diego Simeone’s team have never won the Champions League, though they came close in 2014 and 2016, only to lose both finals to bitter rivals Real Madrid.
“We have things to learn,” admitted Antoine Griezmann afterwards. “Of course, we’re happy, but we’re not there yet. There’s still 90 minutes to go, maybe more, so we have to stay grounded.”
Barcelona, who made the semis last year, now face a massive task in Madrid next Tuesday if they want to keep their dreams alive. Defender Ronald Araujo isn’t giving up. “It’ll be tough, but if anyone can do it, it’s us.”
Not surprisingly, coach Hansi Flick was furious at how VAR was used. He saw Cubarsi get sent off after a review, but thought Atletico got away with a potential handball from Marc Pubill in the second half. The incident saw Pubill handle the ball after keeper Juan Musso passed it out for him to take the goal kick, and Flick insisted it should’ve gotten another look. “The VAR was very focused today for Atletico. He’s a German guy, so thanks, Germany,” Flick said, noticeably sarcastic. “For me, it’s a clear red card, then everything changes.”
Simeone, though, called it “common sense.”
This was the second of three meetings between these clubs in just two weeks. Atletico already knocked Barcelona out of the Copa del Rey last month.
Barcelona actually started well. Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, kept causing problems down the left. Meanwhile, Atletico tried to close down Lamine Yamal on the right, opening up more space for Rashford. The first good chances fell to the England forward, but Musso shut the door each time.
Atletico had their threats too, with Alvarez recently linked to a move to Barcelona, testing Joan Garcia in goal. Rashford kept breaking away from Nahuel Molina and even found the net, but the goal was chalked off for offside earlier in the move. Even with three defenders chasing him, 18-year-old Yamal still managed to dance free and force a save from Robin Le Normand.
Atletico captain Koke may have ridden his luck in the first half, picking up just a yellow after a string of hard fouls, much to the frustration of the home crowd.
That all changed before half-time. With Griezmann quiet, Barcelona held control until 19-year-old Cubarsi’s clumsy chase brought down Giuliano Simeone, giving Kovacs the choice to upgrade his yellow to a red after checking VAR. Then, Alvarez stepped up and curled the free kick straight into the top corner. Barcelona found themselves a goal down and a man down.
Even so, they kept pushing. Rashford kept coming close, Yamal set him up for another big chance, but after rounding Musso, Rashford hit the side netting. He had a free-kick tipped over as well. But then, against the run of play, Atletico struck again. Griezmann and Matteo Ruggieri combined well, with Ruggieri crossing for Sorloth. Sorloth brushed off Gerard Martin and drilled his shot past Garcia.
This defeat marked Barcelona’s first loss at home since Camp Nou reopened in November 2025, and it was also Simeone’s first-ever win at the stadium as Atletico boss after 14 years in charge. Atletico hadn’t won there since 2006, so this was a huge step toward the one trophy they still desperately want.
JAMIE CARRAGHER BRANDS LIVERPOOL A "LOWER DIVISION TEAM" AFTER 2-0 PSG LOSS
Jamie Carragher destroys Arne Slot’s tactics after Liverpool loses 2-0 to PSG. Is Konaté to blame for the UCL collapse?
Jamie Carragher didn’t hold back after watching Liverpool fall 2-0 to PSG in the Champions League. You could see his frustration; he pinpointed both the tactical mess and individual mistakes that cost Arne Slot’s team at the Parc des Princes.
Right from the start, PSG looked sharper. Eleven minutes in, Désiré Doué’s shot took a nasty deflection and floated over Mamardashvili for the opening goal. From there, Liverpool just couldn’t get a grip. Honestly, they barely touched the ball and didn’t manage a single shot on target all game. PSG, on the other hand, just did their thing: 17 shots, 7 on goal, and nearly three-quarters of the possession.
The second half wasn’t any better for Liverpool. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia doubled PSG’s lead about ten minutes after the restart, and at that point, the difference in quality became glaring. With the return leg at Anfield ahead, Liverpool’s got their work cut out.
But what really got people talking was Liverpool’s starting lineup, a back five of Kerkez, van Dijk, Konaté, Gomez, and Frimpong. Carragher flat-out said Slot got his tactics all wrong. He compared Liverpool’s play to a “lower division” team, pointing out that the back five left them even more exposed than usual. “They went man-to-man everywhere and expected three centre-backs to cover the whole pitch,” he said on CBS.
And he didn’t stop there. Carragher pointed the finger at Ibrahima Konaté, saying he’s been “awful” all season, even though van Dijk usually gets the heat. In his words, “Van Dijk, at 34, is running all over the place. People have laid into him, but honestly, it’s been harsh. He plays every game, while Konaté is making mistakes constantly. That’s not easy for anyone next to him.”
He summed it up: “The gulf between the two teams was absolutely startling.” Carragher even said van Dijk looked uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt for the first time. “I bet he’s begging Slot not to try that system again,” Carragher added.
Still, Carragher gave credit where it was due; he said PSG played like Guardiola’s Barcelona. High praise, especially after handing Liverpool such a tough night.
Now Liverpool has to regroup and focus on Fulham this Saturday. They’ll need something special next week at Anfield if they want to stay in Europe.
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