Real Madrid: Jose Mourinho Calls for Vinicius Jr to Control Emotions
Cookies on the BBC website
We use cookies to give you the best online experience. Strictly necessary cookies are on by default. Additional cookies are off by default.
Accept additional cookies
Reject additional cookies
Let me choose
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Sign in
Home
News
Sport
Business
Technology
Health
Culture
Arts
Travel
Earth
Audio
Video
Live
More menu
More menu
Search BBC
Mourinho urges Vinicius Jr to control emotions
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Vinicius Jr joined Real Madrid in 2018
Published 2 hours ago
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.
Vinicius Jr has been the target of regular abuse during his eight years at Real Madrid, including an incident where 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."
Abuse from Liverpool fans hurts – Alexander-Arnold
What does Savinho’s £75m move reveal about Man City’s multi-club model?
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.
"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. We need to educate him as much as possible and prepare him as much as possible. And that’s it."
Related topics
- Football
- Real Madrid
- European Football
- Spanish La Liga
