According to Prestianni, who posted a statement on Instagram that will disappear in 24 hours, he never directed racist language at the Brazilian forward. "I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at the player Vinicius Junior, who unfortunately misinterpreted what he thought he heard," the Argentine player stated.
The controversy follows Vinicius's criticism of UEFA's handling of racism incidents. Kylian Mbappé has come to Vinicius's defense, claiming he heard Prestianni call the Brazilian "Mono" (monkey in Spanish) five times. The teams will face again next Wednesday with Real Madrid holding the advantage of a draw in Madrid.