Vinicius Junior ‘not a saint’ but treatment ‘goes too far’, says Mourinho

Jose Mourinho defended Vinicius Junior after Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Espanyol on Saturday, saying the Brazil forward is being subjected to repeated and excessive treatment by opponents and supporters.

Vinicius was involved in several confrontations with the home side during Real Madrid’s opening La Liga match of the season, particularly with Espanyol defender Cala. Both players were booked in the 32nd minute.

Speaking at his post-match news conference, Mourinho acknowledged that his change of view on Vinicius could attract attention because of comments he made about the player in the past.

“I know there is a risk that you will go back a few months and dig out my previous statements when I was Vinicius’ opponent. Now Vinicius is my player. He is not a saint, but what they are doing to him has gone beyond the limits from the very first minute,” Mourinho said.

The Real Madrid manager claimed the treatment of Vinicius follows a repeated pattern, with opponents taking turns to challenge him and attempting to provoke a reaction.

“It is a pattern that is repeated from one opponent to another: I hit him first, then you hit him, and if I get a yellow card, you hit him. If he is substituted, another player comes on without a card to hit him,” he added.

Mourinho also warned Vinicius that he would need to remain composed, including after scoring, because his behaviour could attract further attention from opponents and supporters.

“He must show a very high level of self-control, and I told him that if he scores a goal, he has to be careful about how he celebrates it,” Mourinho said.

The Portuguese manager said the forward needed support and guidance as he faced what he described as bullying from rival players and fans.

“We live in a social age that fights bullying, but with Vinicius we are still living through a period of bullying by opponents and fans. We have to educate him and prepare him as much as possible, and that is all there is to it,” Mourinho said.

Mourinho’s defence of Vinicius comes only a few months after a controversial incident involving the pair, when Mourinho was in charge of Benfica.

At that time, Mourinho criticised Vinicius for performing a dance celebration in front of Benfica supporters during a Champions League match between Real Madrid and the Portuguese club. The game also featured a dispute between Vinicius and Benfica’s Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni.

The latest match against Espanyol again saw Vinicius at the centre of physical and verbal exchanges, although Real Madrid held on for victory to begin their league campaign with three points.

Mourinho’s comments mark a clear shift from his earlier criticism of the forward. While he maintained that Vinicius was not beyond reproach, he argued that the attention directed towards him by rival teams and their supporters had become excessive and appeared to be coordinated from one match to the next.