José Mourinho committed a ‘significant error’ following purported racist remarks directed at Vini Jr., according to Kompany.
Bayern Munich’s head coach Vincent Kompany has stated that Benfica manager José Mourinho made a “significant error” in his remarks following the alleged racist abuse directed at Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.
The Brazilian international Vinícius reported an incident of supposed racial abuse to referee Francois Letexier after scoring during Tuesday’s Champions League play-off against Benfica, with the Spanish club later identifying winger Gianluca Prestianni as the individual involved in the complaint.
Prestianni refuted the allegations of racist remarks in an Instagram post, while his club referred to a “defamation campaign” against him.
Letexier implemented anti-racism protocols, halting the match for 10 minutes, and UEFA has launched an investigation into the occurrence.
Mourinho faced backlash for his post-match remarks, suggesting that “something always happens” in games featuring Vinícius.
Kompany, a former Manchester City defender and current Burnley manager, addressed the matter at a press conference on Friday morning prior to Bayern’s Bundesliga clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, providing a strong defense of Vinícius and emphasizing that his reaction “cannot be feigned.”
“For me, even more troubling is what occurs after the match,” Kompany remarked, recalling his own experiences with racism as a young player, which included facing “monkey chants” from Real Betis fans directed at him and his former Anderlecht teammate Cheick Tiote.
“After the match, you have the leader of an organization, José Mourinho, who essentially undermines the character of Vinícius Jr. by referencing the nature of his celebration to discredit what Vinícius is experiencing at this moment.
“In terms of leadership, this is a significant error. It is something we must not tolerate. I am very clear on that.
“The one thing you cannot do is dismiss and attack the character of someone who is voicing a complaint about an experience that must be deeply painful for them. There is a need for action.”
Kompany continued: “I know 100 individuals who have worked with José Mourinho. I have never heard anyone speak negatively about him.
“I recognize he is advocating for his team and club. It is not possible to be a bad person and have all the former players you have had speak so positively about you.
“I do not need to assess him as an individual, but I am aware of what I have heard and I comprehend perhaps what he has done, yet he has made an error.”
The Brazilian Football Confederation has, in the meantime, reached out to UEFA and FIFA emphasizing the necessity to “identify and penalize” anyone responsible for racially abusing Vinícius.
– Seedorf on Mourinho’s Vinícius reaction: Mistake to justify racial abuse
– Real Madrid provide UEFA with ‘all available evidence’ for Vinícius Jr. investigation
– Brazil calls for sanctions in Vinícius Júnior racism inquiry
Reports indicate that the UEFA investigation, led by an ethics and disciplinary investigator, may take up to three weeks to complete.
This implies that Vinícius and Prestianni could potentially meet again in the second leg of the play-off at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, with the situation still unresolved.
Now Vinícius’ national federation, under the leadership of president Samir Xaud, has stepped forward to advocate for action from the European and global governing bodies.
A statement read: “The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has requested FIFA and UEFA to be stringent in penalizing those involved in the latest case of racism against Vinícius Jr.
“The CBF reiterated its expectation that FIFA will oversee the case and that UEFA will implement all necessary measures to identify and penalize those responsible for racial insults.”
