Benfica president Rui Costa and the first-team squad have traveled to Madrid with the suspended Gianluca Prestianni to publicly protest his UEFA racism sanction.
Benfica has launched a high-profile show of solidarity for Gianluca Prestianni by including the sanctioned winger in the squad traveling to face Real Madrid.
Despite a UEFA ban preventing him from playing, the club insists his presence is a vital political statement against the disciplinary ruling.
The gesture aims to signal internal harmony and total support for the player during a sensitive European knockout tie.
Club president Rui Costa personally vouched for the young Argentine’s character during the trip to the Spanish capital.
Defending the player against the allegations that led to his punishment, Costa told reporters: “He was called racist, but he’s anything but racist, I can guarantee you that.”
The club continues to contest the findings, viewing the travel arrangement as a necessary symbolic defense of their athlete.