Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho defended Vinicius Junior, but do his comments negate his earlier stance at Benfica?
José Mourinho has reignited the debate surrounding Vinicius Jr after claiming the Real Madrid winger is being subjected to excessive treatment from opponents and supporters.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged that the Brazilian is far from perfect, but argued that the repeated challenges and provocations directed at him have gone beyond what should be accepted in football.
Mourinho defends Vinicius after rough treatment
Mourinho’s comments came after Real Madrid opened their LaLiga campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory away to Espanyol. The visitors were furious within the first five minutes when Alex Calatrava brought Vinicius down from behind before appearing to catch the Brazilian again while he was on the ground.
Real’s players immediately appealed for a red card, but the referee took no action against Calatrava. The Espanyol defender later became even more influential, scoring his side’s equaliser after Jude Bellingham had put Madrid ahead.
Carlo Espi eventually secured all three points for Mourinho’s side with a 90th-minute winner. Speaking afterwards, Mourinho insisted the incident was another example of a pattern that Vinicius repeatedly faces.
“Vinicius is no saint, but what they’re doing to him was too much. Right from the first minute,” Mourinho said.
According to the Real Madrid boss, opponents appear to deliberately share the responsibility of stopping Vinicius, knowing that repeated fouls can eventually result in a booking.
“I’ll give him one, now you give him one. If I get a yellow card, you give him one,” he explained.
‘Vinicius needs emotional control’ – Mourinho
Mourinho also admitted that Vinicius must learn to control his emotions when facing provocation. The Brazilian has frequently found himself at the centre of heated encounters, with his celebrations, confrontations and reactions often making him a target for rival supporters and defenders.
Mourinho believes the 26-year-old must therefore be smarter when dealing with opponents, saying, “He needs to have a lot of emotional control. I’ve told him that if he scores a goal, he needs to be careful how he celebrates it.
Yet the Portuguese coach believes responsibility also lies with football authorities and supporters, adding, “We’re in an era where society is against bullying, yet with Vini we’re still seeing bullying – from opponents and from the crowd.”
Mourinho’s past comments add another layer to Vinicius drama
The latest comments are particularly interesting given Mourinho’s own history with incidents involving Vinicius. Last season, while managing Benfica, Mourinho faced criticism after defending Gianluca Prestianni following discriminatory abuse aimed at Vinicius during a Champions League meeting with Real Madrid.
Prestianni was subsequently handed a six-match UEFA suspension for discriminatory conduct deemed homophobic.
Mourinho had argued at the time that Vinicius’ celebrations had contributed to the reaction from the crowd and pointed to Benfica legend Eusebio as evidence that the club could not be considered racist. His latest defence of the Brazilian therefore represents a notable change in tone.
Ultimately, Vinicius can be both a provocative player and a victim of excessive treatment. Mourinho’s argument is that those two realities can coexist, and that acknowledging the former should never be used to excuse the latter.