Jose Mourinho critiques Vinícius: ‘Celebrate as Pele would’
José Mourinho expressed his disapproval of Vinícius Júnior’s goal celebration following the forward’s strike in Real Madrid’s 1-0 Champions League victory over Benfica, which was preceded by an incident where the player claimed he faced racial abuse.
Vinícius gave Madrid the lead in the 50th minute at the Estadio da Luz, celebrating by dancing near the corner flag, before engaging in a verbal exchange with several Benfica players, including Gianluca Prestianni, whom Vinícius later accused of racial slurs.
Mourinho, who received a red card in the 85th minute and will be suspended for the upcoming second leg at the Bernabéu, spoke with both players on the pitch during a 10-minute pause initiated by the referee as part of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol, before the match resumed.
“Vinícius claims one thing, and Prestianni claims another,” Mourinho stated to Movistar. “I cannot say that I fully support Prestianni, but I also cannot assert that what Vinícius told me is the truth. I cannot, I do not know.”
“What I do know is that prior to the goal, it was an excellent match. Benfica started very strongly, and Real Madrid were remarkably dominant…Then Vinícius scored a goal that only he or [Kylian] Mbappé could achieve. After that, he should have been celebrated by his teammates, rather than engaging with 60,000 fans in this stadium. That’s all I’m saying.”
Mourinho seemed to reference the numerous instances of racial abuse directed at Vinícius by fans in recent years, which have led to legal actions and convictions in Spanish courts.
“In how many stadiums has this occurred? How many?” Mourinho inquired. “He is an extraordinary player, I admire him. But when you score a goal like that…you should be carried off on your teammates’ shoulders. That’s where the match concluded.”
“Something is amiss,” Mourinho continued in his post-match press conference. “Vinícius scored a remarkable goal. Why didn’t he celebrate like Eusebio, Pelé, or Di Stéfano?”
The former Madrid and Benfica coach was also questioned about his dismissal.
“I was sent off for stating something quite evident,” Mourinho remarked. “The referee had a document indicating that ‘[Aurélien] Tchouaméni, [Álvaro] Carreras, and [Dean] Huijsen cannot receive a yellow card.’ He was reluctant to book Carreras or Tchouaméni. I informed the referee, because I have been on the bench for 1,400 games, and he was fully aware of who he could book and who he could not. We understand how things operate.”
