Benfica Slam UEFA After Real Madrid Star Escapes Fresh Sanctions
UEFA has rejected Benfica's formal protest concerning Real Madrid's Federico Valverde from their Champions League playoff first leg encounter, leaving the Portuguese club deeply dissatisfied with the decision.
Real Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 win amid controversy involving alleged racial discrimination against Vinicius Junior by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni, who continues to deny wrongdoing but faces suspension for Wednesday's return fixture due to a "prima facie violation"—indicating UEFA believes Prestianni is culpable despite lacking definitive proof.
Benfica expressed dismay over Prestianni's ban and grew increasingly frustrated when UEFA rejected their formal grievance regarding Valverde's conduct.
What Prompted Benfica's Valverde Complaint?
What Prompted Benfica's Valverde Complaint?
During the final 10 minutes of the opening leg, Valverde became involved in a physical altercation with Benfica's left-back Samuel Dahl.
The Uruguayan midfielder, while attempting to break free from Dahl's challenge, appeared to deliberately swing his arm toward the Benfica defender in what looked like a striking motion. Dahl immediately grabbed his face and staggered backward, alleging he had been struck.
Valverde escaped any sanctions for the confrontation, and the Video Assistant Referee chose not to review the incident, prompting Benfica to lodge an official complaint.
UEFA showed no interest in pursuing the matter further.
"Benfica has received notification from UEFA that the formal complaint submitted by the Club concerning the incident involving Real Madrid's Federico Valverde has been rejected," the club announced in an official statement.
"Benfica expresses disappointment that, despite obvious evidence visible in footage demonstrating the attack on Benfica player Samuel Dahl, UEFA has chosen not to pursue any disciplinary measures.
"Undoubtedly, this represents a red card offense that went unpunished during the match, and with this dismissal, it will not receive additional sanctions."
Benfica Chief Addresses 'Obvious' Valverde Episode
Benfica Chief Addresses 'Obvious' Valverde Episode
The disappointing storyline emerging from the first leg has centered on the discrimination controversy involving Vinicius Jr and Prestianni, which has captured media attention and overshadowed Benfica's grievances regarding Valverde.
From Benfica's perspective, the Portuguese outfit has consistently supported Prestianni, publicly maintaining that while racial discrimination incidents during matches must be addressed severely, no such case exists here.
"Prestianni is not a racist, and I would never allow a racist to represent Benfica," declared club president Rui Costa. "We have faith in our player. I would be the first to acknowledge it if Prestianni displayed racist behavior.
"It's obvious how challenging this match will be. The stakes are incredibly high, but our determination and confidence remain strong. We have this Prestianni situation complicating everything. We submitted this appeal because nothing has been established, and there's no reason it shouldn't be considered.
"We're discussing two separate incidents. We don't intend to use other events from the match to reverse the Prestianni decision, but there was an obvious assault by Valverde."
Benfica cannot prevail in this specific dispute. Prestianni will be absent from Wednesday's fixture due to suspension, while Valverde remains available for Álvaro Arbeloa's squad.