Mourinho Calls for Emotional Control from Vinicius Jr Amidst Ongoing Targeting
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has emphasized the importance of “great emotional control” for Vinicius Jr, following remarks about the winger being bullied on the field. Mourinho’s statement came after Vinicius received an unnecessary yellow card during the team’s 2‑1 victory over Espanyol, stemming from a confrontation with midfielder Cala in the first half.
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Throughout his eight years at Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr has faced persistent abuse, including an incident involving Gianluca Prestianni, who was accused of racially abusing the Brazilian—a claim that Prestianni has denied.
Mourinho remarked, “I run the risk of you going back months and pulling out my words when I was an opponent of Vini Jr. Now Vini Jr is mine. He is not a saint, but what they do to him is too much.”
The coach asserted that opposing players target Vinicius from the opening minutes, seeking a reaction, which has become a consistent approach across all teams he faces. “It’s frustrating for him. He needs to have great emotional control,” Mourinho stated.
After the yellow card incident during Mourinho’s first competitive match in his second tenure at Real Madrid, he advised Vinicius to reflect on how his actions could provoke reactions from the crowd. “I spoke to him at half-time and told him in detail: ‘If you score a goal, be careful how you celebrate it so I can keep you on the field.’ It’s tough,” he added.
“We’re in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vini Jr, we’re still in the bullying era, whether it’s from opponents or the crowd.”
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Mourinho emphasized the need to educate Vinicius and prepare him for these challenges, stating, “We need to educate him as much as possible and prepare him as much as possible. And that’s it.”
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho says Vinicius Jr needs “great emotional control” after claiming the winger is being bullied on the pitch.
The 63‑year‑old’s comments come after the Brazilian picked up an avoidable yellow card in a 2‑1 La Liga opening win over Espanyol for an argument with midfielder Cala in the first half.
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Vinicius Jr has been the target of regular abuse during his eight years at Real Madrid, including the night Mourinho was in the Benfica dugout when Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing the Brazilian – a claim the Argentine denied.
“I run the risk of you going back months and pulling out my words when I was an opponent of Vini Jr,” said Mourinho.
“Now Vini Jr is mine. Vini Jr is not a saint, but what they do to him is too much.”
Mourinho claims his star winger is being targeted by players to seek a reaction “from the first minute” and is “repeated” by all teams the Brazilian comes up against.
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“It’s frustrating for him. He needs to have great emotional control,” he said.
After receiving the yellow card in Mourinho’s first competitive match of his second Real Madrid spell, the Portuguese told Vinicius Jr to consider how his actions on the pitch can ignite reactions in the stands.
“I spoke to him at half-time, and I even told him in detail: ‘If you score a goal, be careful how you celebrate it so I can keep you on the field.’ It’s tough,” he said.
“We’re in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vini Jr, we’re still in the bullying era, whether it’s from opponents or the crowd.
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“We need to educate him as much as possible and prepare him as much as possible. And that’s it.”
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