José Mourinho Critiques Vinícius Júnior’s Celebration Amidst Racial Controversy

omidbasir- José Mourinho has voiced his disapproval of Vinícius Júnior’s goal celebration following the forward’s pivotal strike in Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League. This match was marred by claims of racial abuse directed at Vinícius.

Vinícius opened the scoring in the 50th minute at the Estádio da Luz, celebrating with a dance by the corner flag. This celebration led to a verbal exchange with several Benfica players, including Gianluca Prestianni, whom Vinícius later accused of racially abusing him.

Mourinho, who received a red card in the 85th minute and will consequently be suspended for the upcoming second leg at the Bernabéu, engaged both players on the pitch during a 10-minute stoppage initiated by the referee to apply UEFA’s anti-racism protocol.

In an interview with Movistar, Mourinho remarked, “Vinícius says one thing, and Prestianni says another. I don’t want to say that I 100% support Prestianni, but I also can’t assert that what Vinícius told me is the truth. I simply don’t know.

“All I know is that until the goal, it was an exceptional match. Benfica began strongly, while Real Madrid displayed remarkable strength. Then Vinícius scored a goal that only he or Kylian Mbappé could produce. After that, he should have been celebrated by his teammates instead of interacting with 60,000 fans in the stadium. That’s all I’m saying.”

Mourinho’s comments alluded to the ongoing issue of racial abuse that Vinícius has faced in recent years, which has led to legal actions and convictions in Spanish courts.

“In how many stadiums has this happened? How many?” Mourinho questioned. “He’s an extraordinary player, someone I admire greatly. But when you score a goal like that, you should be lifted by your teammates. That’s where the game should have concluded.”

Mourinho further noted, “Something’s not working. Vinícius scored an incredible goal. Why didn’t he celebrate like Eusebio, Pelé, or Di Stéfano?”

Addressing his own dismissal, the former Benfica and Real Madrid coach stated, “I was sent off for voicing something quite apparent. The referee had a document specifying that Aurélien Tchouaméni, Álvaro Carreras, and Dean Huijsen should not receive yellow cards.

“He was unwilling to book Carreras or Tchouaméni. I pointed this out to the referee, having managed over 1,400 games, and he knew precisely whom he could caution and whom he couldn’t. We understand how this works.”