Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has publicly denounced the ongoing bullying of forward Vinicius Junior, following the Brazilian’s rough treatment during the club’s 2-1 La Liga opening victory against Espanyol on Saturday. The match, which marked the beginning of Mourinho’s return to Madrid, saw the visitors secure a win thanks to a 90th-minute goal from substitute Carlo Espi.
Tensions flared early in the match when Espanyol’s Alex Calatrava tackled Vinicius from behind, appearing to strike him again while he was on the ground. Despite appeals for a red card from the Madrid squad, the referee took no disciplinary action against Calatrava, who later equalized for the hosts after Jude Bellingham had initially opened the scoring.
Mourinho described the treatment of Vinicius as a systematic pattern of abuse from both opposing players and spectators. “Vinicius is no saint, but what they’re doing to him was too much. Right from the first minute. It’s a pattern that repeats itself from one opponent to the next,” the manager stated. He further detailed the tactical harassment, noting, “I’ll give him one, now you give him one. If I get a yellow card, you give him one. If I’m substituted, another player comes on who hasn’t been booked yet, and you give him one.”
Addressing the need for composure, Mourinho emphasized that Vinicius must remain disciplined despite the provocation. “He needs to have a lot of emotional control. I’ve told him that if he scores a goal, he needs to be careful how he celebrates it,” he added. The manager expressed frustration that such behavior persists in modern football, stating, “We’re in an era where society is against bullying, yet with Vini we’re still seeing bullying – from opponents and from the crowd. We have to educate him and prepare him as best we can, and that’s it.”
This incident recalls controversy from the previous season when Mourinho, then managing Benfica, faced criticism for defending Gianluca Prestianni. Prestianni had received a six-match UEFA suspension for discriminatory, homophobic conduct directed at Vinicius during a Champions League clash. At that time, Mourinho had argued that Vinicius provoked the crowd with his celebrations and defended Benfica’s reputation by citing the legacy of Eusebio. The report also notes that who has often been the focus of abuse from rival defenders and crowds, needed to stay composed despite the provocation, the Portuguese coach said Vinicius.
