Lisbon: Former English footballer, Micah Richards has criticised Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni for covering his mouth while allegedly racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vincius Jr. The match between Benfica and Real Madrid at the Est¡dio da Luz in Lisbon on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, was halted for 10 minutes after Vincius reported racial abuse by Prestianni to referee Fran§ois Letexier. Vincius and his teammates temporarily left the field in protest.
According to Ghana Web, replays showed the Argentine footballer lifting his jersey to cover his mouth while speaking to Vincius Jr. Reacting to the incident, Richards, speaking as a pundit on CBS Sports Golazo, challenged Prestianni to publicly reveal what he said. He questioned why the Benfica player covered his mouth before making the remark, labeling him a 'coward.'
Richards further commented, 'Let's see how big of a man Prestianni is, tell us what you said. You must have said something because you can't go to Mbapp© and say you didn't say anything. If you didn't say anything, why did you cover your mouth? Or do you have a cold?' Meanwhile, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has launched a probe into the case, with possible sanctions expected if Prestianni is found guilty.