FIFA tipped for 'Prestianni law' rule change after incident with Vinicius Jr

FIFA have been tipped to bring in a new law off the back of Gianluca Prestianni being accused of making a racist comment to Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian scored the only goal of the game as Real Madrid beat Benfica in the Champions League play-off first leg but his heroics were overshadowed by an alleged racist remark from Prestianni.

Immediately after finding the net in fine fashion, Vinicius ran over to the referee to complain about a comment from Prestianni and anti-racism protocol was activated to bring about a 10-minute stoppage.

Kylian Mbappe alleged that he heard Prestianni, who covered his mouth using his shirt, use the word "m****y" and demanded a ban for the return fixture.

UEFA are investigating the matter after Vinicius reported racial abuse. Image: Getty

UEFA announced they were investigating "allegations of discriminatory behaviour" and according to Sky Sports, the process could take up to three weeks - meaning the Argentine could feature in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But the incident could spark the introduction of a new rule into the game. Former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre, a member of the 16-strong FIFA Players' Voice Panel, has revealed there are discussions about sanctions for players who make a clear attempt to cover their mouths.

"Our WhatsApp group was on fire and we are trying to find ways to sanction players who are talking covering their mouth," he told Sky Sports.

"It's one thing to talk about tactics with your teammates or to have a casual discussion but clearly there was hate between the players and especially from one to the other.

"Maybe we need to sanction this type of behaviour - whether you put your hands in front of your mouth or covering your mouth with your shirt like he did.

"We need to speak with the referees and what they can and cannot do. It's work in progress."

The new rule could be brought in, with Mikael Silvestre in favour. Image: Getty

Benfica dismissed claims in a bizarre social media post where they said "the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard".

The Lisbon giants then issued a statement where they said Prestianni had been subjected to a "defamation campaign".

The player, who disabled comments on his Instagram, has denied using any racist insults.

In line with with Article 14 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations (racism and discriminatory conduct), Prestianni could be facing a 10-game ban if found guilty.

That sanction was handed out to Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela after he was found guilty of racially abusing Glen Kamara during a Europa League game against Rangers.