Jose Mourinho says he believes Vinicius Jr’s goal celebration was an inciting incident for the scenes that followed during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the Champions League play-off first leg.
Vinicius had sent Real into the lead with a superb strike in the early stages of the second half before dancing by the corner flag in front of the home supporters.
Before the match resumed Vinicius exchanged words with Benfica’s Ginaluca Prestianni and reported the player to the referee over an alleged racist remark.
The match was then paused for 11 minutes with Mourinho being seen talking to Real players, including Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe, as tensions rose in the stadium.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, the Benfica boss made his thoughts on the matter clear saying: “It should be the crazy moment of the game, an amazing goal in a good game... these talents are able to do these beautiful things but unfortunately he [Vinicius] was not just happy to score that astonishing goal and then the game was over. When you score a goal like that you celebrate in a respectful way.”
Mourinho was asked if Vinicius had ‘incited’ the Benfica players and the crowd with his celebration and he responded: “Yeah, I believe so. The words they exchange, Prestianni with Vinicius, I want to be independent. I don’t comment about it.”
The Portuguese manager then revealed his own talks with Vinicius and explained what he had told the winger during the pause in play.
“I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho added. “And then when he was arguing about racism I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black. This club, the last thing it is is racist, so if in his mind it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays [in] something happens. Always.
“I’m saying that it was a good 50 minutes of football, millions of people watching around the world, a crazy goal absolutely crazy goal and then game over.”
Amazon Prime pundits Wayne Rooney, Clarence Seedorf and Theo Walcott seemed stunned by Mourinho’s comments with Rooney labelling them ‘unfair’ and Seedorf saying Mourinho made a ‘big mistake’.
“As he said he’s trying to stay independent but I think it was very unfair what he said about Vinicius,” Rooney said when pressed for comment by presenter Gabby Logan.
Seedorf further explained by adding: “I think he's [Jose Mourinho] is still emotional. I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse and I'm not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something more than today. He said wherever he goes these things happen, so he's saying it's okay when Vinicius provokes you, that is it okay to be racist and I think that is very wrong.
“We should never, ever justify racial abuse. And Vinicius has had enough of that unjustified behaviour from people. And I know Mourinho by heart would agree with me but he expressed himself a bit unfortunately I believe. Because we should not be telling the people at home that someone makes a dance or something then it's okay to be racist.”
Theo Walcott plainly finished: “That's the one time we shouldn't have heard from him [Mourinho], tonight he should not have been in front of the cameras.”