Meknes – Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho criticized opposing players and fans for targeting Vinicius Junior following his team’s 2–1 win over Espanyol on Saturday.
The match got off to a tense start just five minutes in when Alex Calatrava tackled Vinicius from behind and appeared to make secondary contact on the ground.
Despite furious calls from Madrid players for a red card, the referee allowed Calatrava to play on without a warning, a decision that proved pivotal when the Espanyol player later cancelled out Jude Bellingham’s opener by scoring the equalizer.
Substitute player Carlo Espí scored in the 90th minute to seal Real Madrid’s 2–1 victory over Espanyol.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Mourinho acknowledged the player’s provocative style while insisting that the relentless aggression went well beyond acceptable limits.
“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,” Mourinho said.
Mourinho went on to draw a sharp contrast between modern social values and the hostile environment Vinicius faces on the pitch, pointing out that the club’s role is to help the player navigate the abuse.
“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,” The Portuguese manager added.
The situation recalled similar friction from last season, when Mourinho was in charge of Benfica and Vinicius faced discriminatory abuse from Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League encounter.
Mourinho sparked fierce criticism for coming to Prestianni’s defense, claiming Vinícius brought the crowd’s reaction on himself through his celebrations and citing Benfica icon Eusébio to insist the club was not racist.
