UEFA fined Benfica €40,000 and mandated a partial closure of 500 seats for the club's next UEFA home match, a sanction suspended for one year, due to racist and discriminatory conduct by supporters. The governing body also imposed separate fines of €8,000 for the use of a laser pointer and €25,000 for throwing objects during the match. These penalties stem from incidents at Estadio Da Luz, though UEFA has not disclosed the specific racist chants or gestures made by the two supporters identified in its statement. Benfica's response to the punishment beyond its denial of a separate racism accusation remains unclear, and the club has not publicly addressed the fines for the laser pointer or thrown objects.
In addition to the club sanctions, Benfica assistant coach Pedro Luis Ferreira Machado received a one-game suspension from UEFA for unsporting conduct. The exact nature of the conduct that led to his suspension has not been detailed by UEFA. This disciplinary action came after Benfica lost 3-1 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff round, ending their campaign in the competition. The defeat marked a significant setback for Benfica, who were aiming to advance in Europe's premier club tournament.
Sport Lisboa e Benfica categorically denies that the player Prestianni has communicated to the
The match was marred by a racism accusation from Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr, who alleged that Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni used racist language. Benfica issued a statement categorically denying that Prestianni communicated to teammates that he used a racial slur. According to Benfica, the club firmly rejects the accusation, though evidence or investigation details supporting Vinicius Jr's claim have not been made public. The exact nature of the incident between Vinicius Jr and Prestianni at Estadio Da Luz is also unknown. UEFA's sanctions for the racist supporter behavior are separate from this accusation involving players.