Wayne Rooney, Clarence Seedorf and Jamie Carragher were among those to criticize Jose Mourinho’s comments after Vinicius Junior accused one of his Benfica players of racism.
Jose Mourinho accuses Vinicius Junior of inciting the Benfica crowd (Image: Ángel Martínez/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has been accused of trying to “justify” racism with his comments about Vinicius Junior. Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night was overshadowed by Vinicius’ racism allegations against Gianluca Prestiani.
The match was suspended for 10 minutes after Vinicius told referee François Letexier that Prestiani had made a racist comment towards him in a heated scene after the Brazilian winger had scored the opening goal and went out to celebrate.
Benfica manager Mourinho was seen talking to Vinicius during a break in play, and after the match he pointed at the Real star and claimed Vinicius had provoked the crowd by dancing near the corner flag. “That should have been the best moment of the game, a great goal in a good game,” he said.
“These talented players can do great things, but unfortunately he[Vinicius]was not just happy to score that amazing goal, it was the end of the game. When you score a goal like that, you celebrate with respect.”
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read more: Benfica player breaks his silence after being accused of racism against Vinicius Junior, club releases unreleased footageread more: Vinicius Jr. brand issues strong statement following racism allegations, calling rivals ‘cowardly and weak’
Asked whether Vinicius had “incited” the crowd, Mourinho said: “Yes, I think so. The words they exchanged, Prestiani and Vinicius, I want to be independent. I won’t comment on that.”
Mourinho’s response to the racism allegations has been criticized by a number of experts, including Wayne Rooney, who played under him at Manchester United. Asked for his opinion by Gabby Logan on Amazon Prime, Rooney said: “Like he said, he’s trying to remain independent, but I think what he said about Vinicius was very unfair.”
Former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf had strong opinions. “I think he’s still emotional,” he began. “I think he made a big mistake today in justifying racial abuse. He’s saying it’s okay to be racist when Vinicius provokes him, and I think that’s very wrong.”
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Vinicius Junior claims he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestiani (Image: Getty Images)
“We should never justify racial abuse. Vinicius has had enough of injustice from people. I know in his heart that Mourinho would agree with me, but I think he expressed a little bit of regret.”
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott added: “I’m a very level-headed person and I’m not one to get angry very often. I love everything that Jose Mourinho has done in football, but in that sense I think he made the wrong decision. It was probably the one time we shouldn’t have heard from him, the one night he shouldn’t have been in front of the cameras.”
Jamie Carragher also took issue with Mourinho’s approach, accusing him of hypocrisy. He told CBS Sports: “Everyone can celebrate however they want and of course they should not be subject to racial abuse under any circumstances. But I feel a little richer from Mourinho, rather than a racial angle or a deeper issue.”
Jose Mourinho spoke to Vinicius Junior on the pitch (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
“He’s a man who admires and despises his opponents more than any other manager I’ve ever had. Remember running down the touchline at Old Trafford? I remember telling all the Liverpool fans to shut up after Chelsea scored in the second half.”
“He listens to the opposition supporters, so it’s a bit of a luxury for him to congratulate Vinicius Junior after a big goal in the Champions League. He has every right to celebrate as he pleases.”
Mika Richards added: “It’s just disappointing. Mourinho is someone I really love as a coach and he could have said something different, but he’s trying to deflect.”
“I expect more from him because he’s an influential figure in this sport and a lot of people listen to him. Jamie is right. It’s hypocritical of him to talk about Vini Jr. when he’s celebrating the way he wants to. I was a little disappointed.”
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