Since last night, Gianluca Prestianni has been at the center of controversy. The 20-year-old Argentine winger is accused of making racist insults against Vinicius Junior, which he firmly denies. At the moment, only testimonies from Real Madrid players (Vinicius, Mbappé) serve as evidence, since the Benfica player had covered his mouth at the time of the exchange with the Brazilian. This is exactly what Mikaël Silvestre wants to combat, as he was interviewed by Sky Sports. Today a member of a FIFA anti-racism commission, the former French international (40 caps, 2 goals) called for sanctions against players who cover their mouths when speaking on a football field.
“Our WhatsApp group was on fire last night, and even this morning,” he said about the commission, which also includes George Weah, Didier Drogba, and Blaise Matuidi. “We are trying to find a way to sanction players who speak while covering their mouths. It is one thing to discuss tactics with your teammates or have an informal conversation, but there was clearly hate between the players, especially from one of them. This type of behavior must be punished. It takes time because we need to discuss with the referees what they can and cannot do. So, it is a work in progress, but everyone is aware of the problem.”
Published on: 18/02/2026 21:01 Updated on: 18/02/2026 21:29
