Mourinho Comments on Vinícius Incident After Benfica Match
José Mourinho addressed the racist abuse involving Vinícius Júnior during Benfica’s Champions League match against Real Madrid on Tuesday night at the Estádio da Luz.
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Real Madrid won the match 1–0, with Vinícius scoring the decisive goal. In the second half, play was stopped for around 10 minutes after Vinícius reported comments made by Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni. The referee activated the anti-racism protocol before the match eventually resumed.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho said he did not want to take sides between the two players but suggested Vinícius’ celebration contributed to the situation.
“I told him [Vinicius] – when you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho said.
“His talents allow him to do these beautiful things, but unfortunately, he was not just happy to score that astonishing goal. When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
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Mourinho also defended Benfica as a club, pointing to its history and identity.
“When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusebio] in the history of this club was Black,” Mourinho said.
“This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. If in his mind there was something in relation to that – this in Benfica. They [Vinicius and Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”
Mourinho added that incidents involving Vinícius have occurred in multiple stadiums.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium,” Mourinho said. “A stadium where Vinicius plays something happens, always.”
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The incident remains under discussion following the match, with Vinícius having already spoken publicly about the situation in a social media statement earlier in the evening.
Real Madrid’s win in Lisbon secured an important Champions League result, though the match was overshadowed by the abhorrent events.
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