Benfica’s Prestianni, Mourinho: Villains in Vinicius racism saga to miss Madrid leg

The much-awaited return leg of the Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Benfica on Wednesday will be without two controversial figures from Monday's meeting, which was marred by a racism allegation.

Argentine forward Gianluca Prestianni, who was the centre of the storm for allegedly racially abusing Real star Vinicius Jr, will miss the meeting at Santiago Bernabeu due to a one-match suspension issued by UEFA.

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho will also miss the match at this old stomping ground, as he had been sent off late in the first leg for complaining to the referee. Benfica said Mourinho will also not attend the pre-match press conference.

Real won the first leg in Lisbon, 1-0, with Vinicius scoring the winner. He then celebrated by the corner flag, upsetting the local fans, but it was Prestianni's confrontation with the Brazilian that made the headlines. Vinicius claimed that Prestianni called him 'monkey' after covering his mouth with his shirt. Vinicius was booked for his celebration before the match was halted after the anti-racism protocol was activated.

However, in the absence of evidence, Prestianni did not receive any penalty during the match. However, UEFA took disciplinary action on the basis of the alleged discriminatory behaviour. Benfica lamented the UEFA decision to suspend Prestianni while the investigation was underway and said they would appeal. Mourinho courted trouble for blaming Vinicius for his celebration and downplaying the serious issue of racism.