Vinicius Jr.’s racism allegations against Gianluca Prestianni during Real Madrid’s vital 1-0 win over Benfica in the first leg of their 2025-26 Champions League knockout playoff continue to be the talk of the soccer world. Amid the situation Jose Mourinho addressed Vinicius’s allegations with a strong message that generated significant controversy.
In his remarks, Mourinho appeared to question the veracity of the Brazilian’s complaint, while also suggesting that the forward should celebrate goals with his own teammates rather than in front of the opposing fans, like Benfica legend Eusebio once did. Those comments were poorly received across the sport, leading World Cup champion Lilian Thuram to slam Mourinho, stating that “there is a feeling of white superiority and narcissism in his words”.
Amidst this backdrop, the Benfica boss spoke once again on the situation ahead of their upcoming Primeira Liga fixture against AVS Futebol SAD. Following a training session, Mourinho was asked how the squad is feeling after the grueling match against Real Madrid.
“The match was truly demanding in every aspect. Up until the 50th minute, it was a game of maximum effort—both physically and tactically—requiring the concentration that a match of that level demands,” the Portuguese manager indicated.
Furthermore, without naming names, he acknowledged that the clash against the Spanish giants left a significant emotional toll due to the incident following the Real Madrid goal.
“I must also recognize that from the 51st minute until now—and our conversation doesn’t end with this—it has not been easy to emotionally manage what happened and what continues to happen. But tomorrow there is an important game that is fundamental for our ambitions and dreams, and we have to concentrate and try to play at the highest level,” he added.
Vincent Kompany rejects Mourinho’s Eusebio comparison
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has joined the chorus of voices disagreeing with Mourinho. Kompany took particular issue with Mourinho citing the legendary Eusebio and his humble celebrations as a way to criticize Vinicius’s conduct.
“He mentions him to say that Benfica cannot be racist because the best player in the club’s history is Eusebio,” Kompany remarked during a press conference prior to Bayern Munich’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
“Do you know what Black footballers had to go through in the 1960s? My father is a Black man from the sixties who also fought his way through… Probably at that time, the only option they had was to be quiet, say nothing, and be ten times better than everyone else just to get a little credit. That was probably Eusébio’s life,” he added.