The Portuguese manager was sent off and will be absent from the upcoming match at the Bernabéu, as reported by our news site. Following a tense Champions League playoff first leg on Tuesday evening, José Mourinho, the Benfica coach, has attributed partial responsibility to Vinícius Júnior for the racist incident that marred the encounter.
Hosted at the Estádio da Luz, the match concluded with a narrow 0-1 defeat for Benfica against the visiting Real Madrid. The fixture, however, was overshadowed by controversy, culminating in Mourinho’s dismissal via a second yellow card, a sanction that will see him banned from the touchline for the decisive second leg next week.
In comments to the Spanish broadcaster Movistar, Mourinho addressed the alleged racist abuse directed at Vinícius by Benfica’s Argentine player, Gianluca Prestianni. Adopting a cautious stance, the coach stated, “I spoke with both parties. Vinícius told me one thing and Prestianni told me another. I do not wish to be entirely partial, believing Prestianni 100%, nor to be on the other side, considering what Vinícius says as the absolute truth.”
A Goal and Its Aftermath
The pivotal moment occurred when the Brazilian forward scored a spectacular solo goal, cutting in from the left flank and firing a precise shot into the top corner. His subsequent celebration near the corner flag, involving a dance perceived as provocative by the home supporters, ignited tensions. The referee, Letexier, deemed it excessive and showed Vinícius a yellow card for incitement, while several Benfica players engaged in verbal altercations with the Madrid star.
It was during this heated exchange that Prestianni is alleged to have uttered a racial slur, prompting Vinícius to formally complain to the match official. The referee’s decision to halt the game for approximately 10 minutes followed, a period during which Vinícius left the pitch, conversed with Mourinho on the sidelines, and waited for the atmosphere to calm before play could resume.
Mourinho, reflecting on the sequence of events, offered a critique of the goalscorer’s conduct. “Until Vinícius’s goal, it was a great match. Benfica started excellently, and Real Madrid was very strong, changing the tempo of the game from around the 30th or 35th minute,” he noted. He further elaborated, “Vinícius scored a goal that only he or Mbappé can score. After that, he should have been carried on his teammates’ shoulders, not gotten into an argument with 60,000 people in this stadium.” When asked if the celebration was the root cause of the abuse, Mourinho implied the celebration was the trigger, suggesting, “When you score a goal like that, you come out carried on your teammates’ shoulders. At that moment, it ends.”
Controversial Dismissal and Accusations
Turning to his own expulsion, Mourinho levied a serious accusation against the officiating team. “I was sent off because I said something very obvious,” he claimed. “The referee had a note stating that Tchouaméni, Højlund, and Carreras could not receive a yellow card because if they got a new warning, they would miss the return leg.” Emphasizing his experience, he added, “I have 1400 matches sitting on the bench, and I knew who could be cautioned and who could not. We know how these things work.”
Despite the controversies and his impending absence from the Bernabéu, Mourinho conceded the better team won on the night. “Real Madrid deserved to win the match,” he stated frankly. Regarding his ban, he commented, “I cannot sit on the bench, enter the dressing room, or communicate with the team. It is difficult for me, but my assistants will be there.”
When play eventually continued, the hostility did not subside; every touch by the Brazilian winger was met with loud whistles of disapproval from the Benfica faithful, ensuring a charged and uneasy conclusion to the match at the Estádio da Luz.