UEFA announced on Friday that Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni has been suspended for six matches for discriminatory conduct deemed homophobic during a Champions League match against Real Madrid.

The governing body stated that a further three-match suspension would be subject to a two-year probationary period, starting from the date of the decision. Prestianni has already served a one-match provisional suspension.

The Argentine winger was accused of directing a discriminatory slur at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the Spanish side's 1-0 Champions League playoff first-leg win in February.

The first leg was suspended for 11 minutes shortly after Vinicius gave Real the lead early in the second half. Television footage showed Prestianni covering his mouth with his shirt repeatedly before making comments that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur.

Prestianni denied the accusation, claiming Vinicius had misheard him. Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni said the Argentine told him he did not call Vinicius a "monkey" but directed a homophobic comment at him.

UEFA also said they would request FIFA to extend the suspension worldwide. The ban includes the one-match provisional suspension Prestianni served during the second leg of the knockout playoff on February 25, which Real Madrid won 2-1 to advance.

Benfica confirmed they had been notified about the sanction. The club stated that of the three-match effective ban, one has already been served, and the remaining two must be served in UEFA matches or Argentina national team matches in a FIFA context. Prestianni has played for Argentina only once, making his debut as a late substitute in a friendly against Angola in November.

Source: www.aljazeera.com