Jose Mourinho criticised for comments on Vinicius Junior and racism
Jose Mourinho has been strongly criticised by prominent pundits after his post-match comments on Vinicius Junior following Benfica’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid. The game, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid, was overshadowed by allegations that Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni racially abused Vinicius shortly after he scored the winning goal, prompting a temporary halt in play under UEFA’s anti-racism protocols. Mourinho’s remarks after the match have drawn widespread condemnation for seeming to shift blame and diminish the seriousness of the alleged abuse.
In his interview, Mourinho appeared to question Vinicius’s celebration and suggested that it may have “incited” the home crowd, implying that such reactions are common in stadiums where Vinicius plays. Mourinho insisted Benfica is not a racist club, citing its legendary Black figure Eusebio as evidence, and said he wanted to remain “independent” in evaluating the contrasting accounts from the two players. These statements have been viewed by many as deflecting from the core issue of racial abuse rather than condemning it.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf, speaking as a television pundit, strongly criticised Mourinho for what he described as a “big mistake” in appearing to justify racist behaviour. Seedorf said that suggesting it is “okay” to racially abuse a player based on celebration risks normalising unacceptable conduct, and emphasised that racial abuse should never be justified under any circumstances. Ex-Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney also labelled Mourinho’s remarks about Vinicius as “very unfair”. Fellow pundit Theo Walcott echoed these views, noting that Mourinho perhaps should have avoided media duties entirely on such a controversial night.
Additional criticism came from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who described Mourinho’s comments as hypocritical given the manager’s own history of provocative celebrations and conduct on the touchline. Carragher said clubs and managers must take a clear stand against racism, rather than focus on a player’s reactions or celebrations in the aftermath of such serious allegations. The backlash reflects the wider debate about racism in football and the responsibilities of influential figures to confront it strongly and unequivocally.
Amid the controversy, Vinicius Junior himself has taken to social media to condemn racism, calling racists “cowards” and highlighting the ongoing struggle he and others face with racial abuse in football. The incident has reignited discussions about racism in sport and the effectiveness of protocols designed to prevent and address these situations
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