Mourinho's Bizarre Eusebio Lecture Steals the Show in Vinicius Racism Drama
A racism row erupted after Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni allegedly abused Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior following a goal celebration, with Mbappe claiming he heard monkey slurs. Prestianni denied it, but Benfica manager Jose Mourinho sparked outrage by blaming Vinicius and citing club legend Eusebio. As UEFA investigates, Mourinho's comments highlight ongoing issues with victim-blaming in football racism debates.
Picture this: you're at the pub, pint in hand, and your mate starts ranting about the latest footy drama. That's the vibe with this Benfica vs Real Madrid clash at the Estadio da Luz. Vinicius Junior bags a cracker in the 50th minute, does a cheeky dance by the corner flag, and suddenly all hell breaks loose. Enter Benfica's young gun Gianluca Prestianni, who looks proper fuming, covers his gob with his shirt, and has a right go at Vini. What was said? Well, we're not 100% sure yet – UEFA's sniffing around – but Vinicius wasn't having it. He marches straight to ref Francois Letexier, play's halted for a full 10 minutes, and Kylian Mbappe reckons he heard Prestianni drop the 'monkey' slur not once, but five times.
Mbappe didn't mince words post-match: 'I called him racist because I think he is. His face doesn't lie.' Harsh, but the French wizard backed his teammate hard. Prestianni, the 20-year-old Argentine, fired back on Insta the next morning: 'Never been racist, Vini misunderstood, and now I'm getting death threats from Madrid players.' Fair play to him for denying it publicly, and yeah, innocent until proven guilty, lads. But the real clown in this circus? Step forward, Jose Mourinho, Benfica's gaffer and self-proclaimed Special One.
Mourinho, who once waited in a car park to slag off a ref after a final loss (remember that, Anthony Taylor?), somehow twisted this into Vinicius being the villain. 'When you score, celebrate and walk back,' he barked. Then drops this gem: 'The biggest legend here, Eusebio, was black. This club ain't racist.' Eh, Jose? What does a Portuguese icon from the '60s have to do with your winger mouthing off? It's like saying your nan can't be a thief because she bakes brilliant scones. Proper baffling logic.
Benfica even posted a dodgy video overnight claiming the Madrid lot couldn't have heard a thing from that distance. Mourinho doubled down: 'Vinicius causes bother everywhere he goes.' Bollocks. Sure, Vini's got a rep for being a bit petulant and fond of the dramatic dive, but pinning racism on his samba moves? That's the toxic narrative Spanish football's peddled for ages. Back in 2022, some suit on telly told him to samba in Brazil, not on the pitch, and called it 'monkey' business. Vini's been battling La Liga's uglier side solo, dodging death threats while fighting the good fight.
Mourinho preaching about respectful celebrations? That's rich coming from the bloke who's celebrated goals by sticking fingers in his ears and winding up entire stadiums. He's never copped racial abuse, mind – just the odd chorus of boos – but reacts like a toddler denied sweets. This incident's a reminder: racism's irrational bollocks, thriving in stadiums full of diverse stars. Supporters hurl slurs at black players on their own teams one minute, then cheer them the next. Nonsensical.
Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa played it sensible: 'No reason to doubt my lads.' Spot on. Until UEFA drops the hammer, we wait. But Mourinho turning victim into provocateur? That's not just embarrassing – it's dangerous. Makes you proper angry, doesn't it? Next time you're celebrating a goal with a jig, remember: don't do it near Lisbon, or Special One might school you on history. Cheers to that.