Mourinho avoided Villarreal press conference to protect Real Madrid return

Jose Mourinho declined to attend the post-match news conference after Real Madrid’s victory over Villarreal because comments he made could have led to a suspension, according to Spanish radio station Cadena COPE.

Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 1-0 in their La Liga fixture on matchday six. The decision meant Mourinho avoided the possibility of missing the club’s next match against Sevilla from the Real Madrid bench.

Mourinho’s stance contrasted with his reaction after the previous Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid, when he attended the news conference and launched a strong criticism of the referee.

The Villarreal match itself produced a controversial sequence involving Vinicius Junior. The Brazil forward came on as a substitute in the 52nd minute, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Vinicius appeared to score Real Madrid’s second goal in the 72nd minute. Mourinho ran towards him to celebrate after the effort, but the referee subsequently reviewed the incident on video.

The review found that Vinicius had grabbed a Villarreal player by the hair at the beginning of the move. The goal was therefore disallowed and the Brazilian was shown a straight red card, only 20 minutes after entering the game.

Real Madrid played with 10 men from that point onwards.

Vinicius Junior now faces the possibility of missing the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona, which is scheduled to be Real Madrid’s next-but-one match in La Liga. A formal decision on the punishment is expected before his availability for that fixture is confirmed.

The result brought Real Madrid back to winning ways following their 2-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the city derby.

Real Madrid moved on to 18 points and sit third in the La Liga table. They are one point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid and six points adrift of leaders Barcelona.

Villarreal remain on eight points in 10th position.

Mourinho’s decision not to speak after the match came as attention focused on the potential disciplinary consequences of the Villarreal incidents. By avoiding the conference, the Portuguese manager reduced the risk of making remarks that could have resulted in a ban and kept him away from the touchline for the Sevilla match.