Jose Mourinho’s cowardly response to Vinicius Jr racial abuse allegations a stain on legendary career
When Jose Mourinho speaks, football listens. After all he’s won and all he’s accomplished, the 63-year-old coach has earned as much respect.
Which is exactly why his embarrassing and timid response to the alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Jr. during Wednesday’s Champions League match is such a disappointing conclusion to a sad day for the game at Estadio da Luz.
After scoring a brilliant goal, which proved to be the winner as Real Madrid triumphed 1-0 on the day, the Brazil forward was the target of apparently unsavoury language from Gianluca Prestianni, who was displeased with Vini’s overt celebration in the face of the Benfica supporters.
No matter the trigger, there is no excuse for Prestianni’s alleged behavior. Unfortunately, it seems that no amount of worldwide travel and football experience has taught Mourinho that truth.
Given the chance to face the tide as The Special One, Mourinho was painfully ordinary.
MORE: A full, detailed explanation of what happened with Vinicius Jr and the immediate response
Jose Mourinho response to Vinicius Jr alleged racial abuse
When asked about the actions of Prestianni towards Vinicius that led to a 10-minute stoppage of the match shortly after halftime, despite saying he did not wish to take sides between the players, Jose Mourinho provided every tired excuse in the playbook.
He began with the “he was asking for it” trope that women and minorities are all too familiar with.
“I told him [Vinicius] – when you score a goal like that, you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho said, referring to the Brazilian’s provocative celebration.
“His talents allow him to do these beautiful things, but unfortunately, he was not just happy to score that astonishing goal. When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.”
Of course, as we all know, just because a player does a celebration you don’t like doesn’t mean you can unload such derogatory and inflammatory speech in their direction. The two are not remotely equivalent.
“I can relate to what Vinícius Jr. is going through.. At times you feel lonely because it’s going to be your word against his word.”
Thierry Henry reflects on the incident between Vinícius Jr. and Gianluca Prestianni pic.twitter.com/qa11TICJ9H
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 17, 2026
Next, Mourinho defended the club whose fans repeatedly pelted individuals — both Real Madrid players and match officials — with projectiles thrown from the stands. For this position, he chose to point out that, in essence, they can’t be racist because they have previously cheered for Black players.
“When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusebio] in the history of this club was Black,” Mourinho said.
“This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. If in his mind there was something in relation to that – this in Benfica. They [Vinicius and Prestianni] told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”
As Thierry Henry reminded us on CBS Sports after the match, and Mourinho would be wise to remember, it’s much easier to root for those on one’s own team than back those on the opposition. “I don’t like Real Madrid, but I’m a Madridista tonight,” the former Barcelona striker said.
Grimly, Mourinho then landed the trifecta, pulling out the “everyone does it” card while insinuating again that Vinicius somehow brings it on himself.
“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium,” Mourinho, speaking to Amazon Prime. “A stadium where Vinicius plays something happens, always. Look, I am saying it was a good 50 minutes of football. I believe millions of people are watching around the world – a crazy goal and then game over.”
MORE: Explaining the “crossed-arms” protocol FIFA has instituted to combat racial abuse
Mourinho defense of Prestianni a missed opportunity for real impact
None of these attempted defenses of his player, squad, and club come remotely close to landing.
It’s a leap to expect Jose Mourinho to come out publicly against his own player, especially so soon after the incident when few hard facts were known and the emotions still raw.
Yet that’s exactly what makes this such a missed opportunity.
As a legend of the modern game, any kind of stance from Mourinho would have made an impact. Even without implicating Prestianni directly, the Benfica manager could have at the very least condemned any suggestion of racist remarks and indicated there was no place in football for such words, no matter the situation.
Such statements would have meant a great deal in the fight against racism in football, coming from such a titanic figure of the game. Yet in the end, Mourinho could only muster meek and timid excuses amid allegations of disgusting and unacceptable behavior.
These are the moments where the audience, and thus the impact, are the highest, and Mourinho has come up completely and utterly empty.
If anything, Mourinho gave the impression that such behavior is justifiable in certain situations.
As Clarence Seedorf so eloquently put it after the match on Amazon Prime, “I think he made a big mistake today by justifying racist abuse,” Seedorf said. “I’m not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something much more than only today. He mentioned that Vinicius, wherever he goes, these things happen. So he’s actually saying that it’s okay when Vinicus provokes you, that it’s okay to be abusive and racist. And I think that’s very wrong.”
There is no question that, if such alleged events did indeed occur, nobody but Vinicius Jr. is the victim, and blaming his actions for an unequal and unacceptable reaction only shifts the focus away from the proper narrative.
If anyone should be praised for their actions on the Estadio da Luz pitch Tuesday evening, it’s Vinicius Jr. Instead of reacting angrily to such supposedly vile comments, the Brazilian kept his wits and ran not to the throat of Prestianni, but to the match official Francois Letexier, who immediately enacted the anti-abuse protocol.
Sure, Vini then needed 10 minutes to be convinced to re-take the pitch and continue playing, but who could blame him? A player known for his history of big emotions, this time he remained calm, spoke plainly and intently to the appropriate individuals, and eventually carried on amidst what could only be described as an awkward environment across the final 30 minutes of play.
Mourinho is right about one thing: this does happen to Vinicius Jr. repeatedly. Yet to him, Prestianni’s alleged actions are somehow excusable given how Vinicius Jr. has brought this on himself.
“We should never, ever in any circumstances justify racist abuse,” Seedorf said. “Vincius has had enough of that unjustifiable behaviour from many people.
“I think he [Mourinho] expressed himself a bit unfortunately because we should not tell the people at home or who come to the stadium that if someone makes a dance or whatever, then it’s okay to be abusing the person with racism.”
Until society breaks the connection between Vinicius Jr’s actions and this level of response, there will always be individuals who feel empowered and supported in making such disgusting remarks. With the chance to further such a cause, Mourinho failed his sport.
