FIFA plans to sanction players who cover their mouths with their hands to hide racist insults. This measure is a direct response to the alleged racist insults made by Argentine Gianluca Prestiannic against Brazilian Vinícius Júnior during the Benfica vs. Real Madrid match. Prestiannic covered his mouth with his hand after Júnior complained to the referee about his comments. Following the incident that occurred on Tuesday in the Champions League round of 16 at the Estádio da Luz, Silvestre clarified that the goal is not to interfere with tactical instructions or casual chats. FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed being 'shocked' and reiterated that there is 'no place for racism' in the king of sports. The focus is on eradicating hate speech in football. 'We are trying to find ways to sanction players who talk and cover their mouths,' Silvestre stated. The Brazilian immediately reported the insults to referee François Letexier, forcing the match to be stopped for eight minutes under the UEFA's anti-racism protocol. UEFA has already appointed an inspector of ethics and discipline for the case. 'One thing is to talk about tactics, but clearly there was hatred between the players,' Silvestre emphasized. Even Portugal's Authority for the Prevention and Combat of Violence in Sport (APCVD) has launched a formal investigation into the behavior of the players involved. 'We need to sanction this behavior, whether they use their hands or their shirt to cover themselves, as Prestiannic did,' Silvestre added in an interview with Sky Sports. Silvestre also criticized the management at the stadium and the lack of evidence. He regretted that the stadium's technology was not used to inform fans: 'The public needs to be aware of what is happening; the referee should have been able to speak clearly about the incident.' Regarding a possible sanction for Prestiannic, Silvestre acknowledged the difficulty of gathering forensic evidence before the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, scheduled for February 25. However, he highlighted that the testimony of figures like Kylian Mbappé, who witnessed the event, will be crucial. The incident occurred in the 51st minute, following Vinícius Júnior's goal that sealed the 0-1 victory.
