Mourinho on Vinicius: 'He's no saint, but what they do to him is too much'
Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho has spoken out in defense of Vinicius Junior, condemning the persistent bullying and provocations the player faces.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 / Author: Hossein Zohrevand
Following Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Espanyol, head coach Jose Mourinho addressed the situation surrounding star winger Vinicius Junior. While acknowledging that the Brazilian is not flawless, the Portuguese manager insisted that the level of targeting the player endures on the pitch has become unacceptable.
The comments followed a yellow card Vinicius received for an altercation with an opponent during their La Liga match. Mourinho asserted that opponents are deliberately attempting to provoke the Brazilian from the opening minutes of every game, a tactic that has become a consistent pattern.
Vinicius is no saint, but what they do to him is too much. Jose Mourinho
Mourinho revealed that he held a serious conversation with the player at halftime, urging him to maintain emotional control and be more disciplined in his reactions to both fans and opponents. The Real Madrid boss highlighted the modern-day paradox where, despite widespread campaigns against bullying, Vinicius continues to be the target of systematic abuse.
"We live in an era of anti-bullying, yet with Vinicius, we are still living in an era of bullying. We need to train and prepare him as best we can," Mourinho concluded, emphasizing that the focus must be on protecting the player's development while helping him avoid disciplinary trouble.