Thierry Henry Challenges Benfica's Prestianni: "Tell Us What You Said... Why Did You Cover Your Nose, Do You Have a Cold?"

T.E (Elbotola)

18 February 2026at14:48

Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has called on Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni to reveal the truth about an incident in which he was accused of insulting Vinicius Junior during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round.

Speaking on the "CBS SPORTS" analytical studio, Henry said, "I can empathize with what Vinicius is going through. It happened to me many times on the pitch, and I spoke about it after matches. Sometimes you are accused of making excuses when it happens to you, and you feel alone."

He added, "We don't know what Prestianni said, because he was very brave when he covered his mouth with his shirt so we couldn't see what he said, and that makes it suspicious. He didn't want people to see or read what he said, and Vinicius's reaction indicates that something inappropriate happened."

"Vinicius can clarify his point of view, and I'm sure Prestianni won't tell us what he actually said. I saw Kylian Mbappé confront him earlier and he said, 'I didn't say anything'... He must have said something at least," the same speaker continued.

Henry further stated, "Sometimes you feel like you don't know what to do. We are in 2026 and we are still talking about an incident of this kind, while we should be focusing on the fantastic goal. You shouldn't be asked to ignore the referee or stop taking a corner kick for fear of inciting the crowd. Suddenly, the player becomes a victim, and I can empathize with that."

He concluded, "I went through the same situation, and the referee told me he couldn't do anything about it. Let's see how brave Prestianni is; tell us what you said. You can't say later, 'I didn't say anything.' Why did you cover your nose, are you suffering from a cold?"

Q&A

Why did Thierry Henry question Prestianni's mouth covering?

Thierry Henry found Prestianni covering his mouth suspicious, suggesting he was hiding what he said to Vinicius Junior. Vinicius's reaction implied an inappropriate comment was made.

How does Thierry Henry relate to Vinicius Junior's experience?

Thierry Henry empathizes deeply with Vinicius Junior, having faced similar incidents of alleged insults on the pitch many times during his own playing career, often feeling alone.