Jose Mourinho has strongly defended Vinicius Junior after Real Madrid’s difficult victory over Espanyol in the opening round of La Liga, saying the Brazilian forward is being subjected to “bullying” by opponents and their supporters.
The match featured a series of confrontations involving Vinicius, who Mourinho believes is treated differently from other players during games. The Real Madrid manager said rivals repeatedly provoke the winger and commit fouls against him without always receiving the appropriate punishment.
Speaking in comments reported by Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Mourinho acknowledged that his previous remarks about Vinicius could be brought up again now that he is defending him.
“I run the risk that you go back months and bring out my words from when I was Vini’s opponent. Now, Vini is mine,” Mourinho said.
The Portuguese coach stopped short of portraying Vinicius as faultless, saying the player was not a “saint”. However, Mourinho argued that the treatment he receives has gone beyond the normal limits of sporting competition.
Mourinho specifically referred to an incident from the game against Espanyol in which Vinicius was kicked in the back by Alex Calatrava while both players were on the pitch. The Espanyol player was not shown a yellow card, a decision Mourinho felt was unjustified.
The manager said the pattern surrounding Vinicius had become a recurring feature of matches, with opponents exchanging fouls involving the forward while escaping sanctions that, in his view, should have been imposed.
Mourinho’s comments have also revived a controversy from approximately six months earlier, when Real Madrid faced Benfica in the Champions League. On that occasion, Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni was accused of directing a racist insult at Vinicius, in an incident that prompted widespread debate.
At the time, Mourinho criticised Vinicius’ conduct and his manner of celebrating a goal. He questioned why the forward had gone towards one corner of the pitch rather than celebrating with his team-mates.
That episode led to further criticism and counter-criticism over Vinicius’ behaviour and the treatment he experiences during matches. Mourinho’s current position represents a clear shift in emphasis, with the Real Madrid manager now focusing on what he considers excessive provocation and inadequate protection for the player.
Espanyol defender Manolo rejected Mourinho’s description of events, however. He said the incidents involving Vinicius did not amount to “bullying” and maintained that, from his perspective, they were no more than normal physical exchanges in football.
Mourinho’s defence came after a closely fought win for Real Madrid in their first La Liga fixture of the season, a match in which the repeated clashes involving Vinicius became one of the main talking points.
