The first leg of the 2025-26 Champions League knockout playoff between Benfica and Real Madrid ended in scandal after Vinicius Jr. alerted the referee to racial slurs allegedly made by Gianluca Prestianni, triggering the anti-racism protocol mid-match. Once the game concluded, Jose Mourinho spoke about Vinicius Jr.’s racism allegations with a strong message, questioning the veracity of the Brazilian’s complaint.
Amidst this backdrop, UEFA has opened an investigation to evaluate Prestianni’s situation, but Mourinho’s statements have drawn sharp condemnation from Lilian Thuram, a World Cup winner with France in 1998. The legendary French defender, who played for Juventus and Barcelona, labeled the Portuguese coach a “small man” for doubting Vinícius’s accusations.
“Jose Mourinho is a great coach with an exceptional career. He has worked with many black players throughout his life—enough to not doubt the veracity of a racist act,” Thuram told L’Équipe.
Thuram grew increasingly aggressive in his remarks, dismissing any focus on Vinicius’s goal celebration as a provocation. “But how can he say that? Who are you, Mr. Mourinho, to allow yourself to decide what Vinicius Junior has the right to do or not? There is a feeling of white superiority and narcissism in your words,” he added.
“The racist act of which Vini was a victim is not linked to his behavior, but to the color of his skin. And how can we not take into account what the players are saying? So that’s it—Vinicius is crazy, he made up an insult and ran to the referee?” Thuram questioned. “Kylian Mbappe also heard it, so is Mbappe crazy too? Are black people crazy, is that it? They are paranoid and invent stories…”
“When Mourinho tries to make us believe that Vinicius Junior is responsible for the racism he suffers, it is pathetic. Through this analysis, he becomes a petty person, a small man,” Thuram added. “Mourinho does not analyze the racist act as a man, but as a white man. We are not obliged to think through the prism of his skin color,” he concluded.
Further backlash following Mourinho’s comments
Mourinho’s remarks appear to have resonated poorly across the soccer world. Beyond Thuram’s scathing critique, icons such as Theo Walcott and Clarence Seedorf expressed their strong disagreement during the match broadcast on CBS Sports, taking issue with the former Real Madrid manager’s stance.
“I am very calm and someone who doesn’t get angry very often,” Walcott said. “I love everything Mourinho has done for football, but here he has made a poor decision. It is perhaps the only time we shouldn’t have heard anything from him—the only night he shouldn’t have spoken in front of the cameras.”
Seedorf echoed those sentiments, emphasizing that there is no justification for racial abuse, regardless of on-pitch tension. “It sounds like he is saying that if Vinicius provokes you, you can be racist toward him, and that is a massive mistake,” Seedorf added. “We should never justify racist insults. Vinicius has had enough. I know Mourinho well and I know he would agree with me, but he expressed himself poorly, unfortunately“.