Certain flashpoints prove incredibly difficult to move on from. One such incident occurred during the Benfica versus Real Madrid clash on 17 February, where Vinicius Jr was allegedly the target of racist abuse from Argentine Gianluca Prestianni. More than two months later, the fallout remains a subject of fierce debate.

The Eagles forward, recently handed a call-up to the Argentina national squad, opened up in an interview with 'Telefe' journalist Sofia Martinez, reflecting on his experience during the ordeal.

"I thought of my mum, my dad, and my grandparents. I’ve had to listen to so many falsehoods about things that never happened. As a footballer, you get used to people talking, but this was different. What stung the most was being accused of something I never did. I am not a racist," the Argentine insisted.

Prestianni Vinicius

"Fortunately, I am at peace because those who know me understand my character, and that is enough for me. I am also immensely grateful to the club, who stood by me and believed in my version of events throughout. My teammates offered their support behind closed doors, which means far more to me than a public Instagram 'story'," he added.

Following the alleged "monkey" chants, UEFA subsequently sanctioned him without evidence, forcing him to miss the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. "Missing that second leg was incredibly painful. I was punished for words I never spoke. They accused and sanctioned me without proof. But that is in the past now. I am very grateful to the Benfica squad and coaching staff, who waited until the final moment to see if I could feature. I spoke with Mourinho, just as I did with my teammates, to offer reassurance and clarify that nothing had happened, especially with so many rumours swirling around," he explained.

"I have had teammates with the same skin tone as Vinicius Jr, and there was never an issue; quite the opposite. Then, they even began labelling me a homophobe, which was a step too much. It felt like people were simply trying to manufacture a scandal out of nothing. In Argentina, terms like 'maricon' or 'cagon' are common insults," he countered.

Finally, Prestianni addressed the comments made by Mbappe, who at the final whistle claimed the Argentine did not deserve to play in the Champions League because he was "a f***ing racist". "You are insulting someone by calling them a racist when I have never been one and never will be. Clearly, he was trying to provoke me during the match. I refused to react then, and I won't react now," he concluded.

G. Prestianni

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