Mourinho accuses Vinicius of inciting clash after alleged racist abuse in Champions League tie
A Champions League night at Estadio da Luz turned contentious after Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior alleged racist abuse during his side’s play off first leg against Benfica.
According to The Athletic, the Brazil international said he was targeted by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni shortly after scoring in the 50th minute. Real Madrid team mate Kylian Mbappe supported the claim, stating he heard the Argentine “say that Vinicius is a monkey, five times”.
Incident on the pitch
Vinicius celebrated near the corner flag after finding the net. Objects were thrown from sections of the crowd and referee Francois Letexier issued him a yellow card.
Following an exchange between Vinicius and Prestianni, Letexier activated FIFA’s anti racism protocol by crossing his arms. Play was suspended for eight minutes while Vinicius briefly stepped away from the field.
Read also: Gianluca Prestianni responds after Vinicius Jr alleges racist abuse
He later returned but was met with boos from parts of the stadium. Mourinho was sent off later in the match, capping a tense evening in Lisbon.
Mourinho’s response
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Mourinho questioned both the celebration and the broader pattern of incidents involving Vinicius.
“Vini was not just happy to score that astonishing goal and the game was over,” Mourinho said. “When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
In comments also relayed by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Mourinho added: “When it happens in so many stadiums, always with the same, there is something wrong”.
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He said he had spoken directly to the Real Madrid forward. “I told Vini: you scored a wonder goal, why did you celebrate like that? Why can’t you celebrate a goal with just the happiness of being a great player?”
When asked whether Vinicius had incited the confrontation, Mourinho replied: “Yes, I believe so. The words they exchanged, Prestianni with Vinicius, I want to be independent, I don’t want to say, ‘I believe Prestianni or don’t believe Vinicius’, because they told two completely different things.
“I told him Vinicius Jr that when you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back. When he was arguing about racism, I told him that the biggest person in the history of this club is Black. This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. If in his mind, there was something racist — this is Benfica.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium where Vinicius plays, something happens. Always.”
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He later added: “I’m saying it was a good 50 minutes of football. I believe millions of people watching him around the world saw an absolutely crazy goal and then, game over.”
Pundits challenge Mourinho’s remarks
On Amazon Prime, former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf criticized Mourinho’s position.
“I have huge respect for Jose as a coach, as a person,” Seedorf said. “I think he’s still emotional. I think he made a big mistake today to justify racist abuse.
“I’m not saying that was the case today, but he mentioned something much more than only today, that these things happen to Vinicius everywhere he goes. He’s actually saying that it’s OK when Vinicius provokes you to abuse him racially. That is very wrong.”
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Seedorf added that regardless of differing accounts, racial abuse can never be justified and said there would likely be an investigation.
Speaking on CBS, Thierry Henry also questioned the focus on the celebration.
“Mourinho as a coach did deflect the discussion. As soon as we came back, we started to talk about what? The celebration.
“Who cares? I want to know what Prestianni said. That’s when the game stopped, the game didn’t stop because of the celebration. The game stopped because of what Prestianni apparently said.
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“He did what coaches do after games. They make sure we don’t talk about what we’re supposed to talk about.”
Prestianni and Vinicius issue public statements
Gianluca Prestianni denied the allegations in a statement published on Instagram and shared by Fabrizio Romano.
“I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard,” Prestianni said.
“I was never racist with anyone and I regret the threats I received from Real Madrid players.”
Vinicius also posted a detailed message on Instagram, excerpts of which were reported by Fabrizio Romano.
“Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are,” he wrote.
“But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them.”
He continued: “Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team’s life. I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don’t understand why.”
Vinicius also criticized the handling of the situation. “On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose.”
Despite the controversy, he emphasized that he would have preferred the focus to remain on the result. “I don’t like to appear in situations like this, especially after a big win and when the headlines should be about Real Madrid, but it’s necessary.”
According to The Athletic, incidents involving alleged discriminatory conduct in European competition are typically reviewed under established procedures, and further steps could follow depending on official findings.
Source: The Athletic, Fabrizio Romano
