“I thought about my mom, dad and grandparents having to hear so many things that I'm not and didn't happen. I'm one thing, because I'm a soccer player and I'm used to things being talked about, but they're another thing,” said Prestianni, who didn't add up minutes on this FIFA date, in an
interview with Telefe. Prestianni said he didn't say anything racist to Vinícius
"What hurt me the most was being accused of something I never did. But luckily, I'm very calm because everyone who knows me knows what kind of person I am and that's enough for me
,” said the former Vélez. In that regard, the striker also regretted not being able to play the second leg at Santiago Bernabéu and questioned UEFA's decision to sanction him preemptively: “Not playing the second leg hurt me a lot. They punished me for something I didn't say. They treated me and sanctioned me without proof. But it's over.”
“I have had colleagues of the same skin color as Vinícius, andnothing ever happened to any of them, quite the contrary. Then they started calling me a homophobe too, which was too much. I felt like people were only trying to create drama because of things that weren't true. For us Argentines, words like 'fagon' or 'fagon' are common insults. But fortunately the team and the coaching staff supported me, so that gave me peace of mind,” he said
.
On the other hand, the attacker referred to the cross he later had with Kylian Mbappé: “Mbappé calling me a 'shitty racist'?It's an insult to call someone a racist when I've never been and never will be.” He added: “Obviously, I was trying to provoke myself during the game. I never wanted to react, and I won't.”
Prestianni questioned Mbappé for calling him “racist”
Prestianni also valued the support received in the midst of the controversy: “I am very grateful to the club, they believed in me and supported me in everything. My colleagues showed me their support in private, and that means a lot more to me than posting a story on Instagram
.” He even revealed that he spoke to coach José Mourinho and the rest of the squad to clarify what happened in the face of rumors that circulated in the locker room.
Beyond the controversy, the young soccer player seeks to leave the episode behind and focus on his sporting growth, while insisting on his innocence and questioning the treatment he received during the conflict.
