Vinicius Junior racism storm erupts as Benfica boss Jose Mourinho blames Real Madrid star

Robin Bairner

• 18 Feb 2026 01:33 CST
• 5 min read

News

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior once again finds himself in the eye of a racism storm following his side’s 1-0 Champions League win over Benfica in Lisbon on Tuesday.

Vini Jr scored the only goal in the Lisbon clash but was then subject to a torrent of abuse from the crowd following his celebration, which saw him dance in front of the corner flag.

Subsequently, Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni allegedly said something of a racist nature to the Brazil international attacker, having used his shirt to cover his mouth from cameras when he was speaking to the Real Madrid ace.

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Los Blancos were left so furious that they departed the pitch for 10 minutes before returning to close out the game with a 1-0 victory, leaving a cloud hanging over the tie before the second leg in the Spanish capital next week.

The reaction of Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has come in for particular criticism after he chose to blame Vinicius for the incident.

What did Mourinho say?

Following the match, Mourinho, who has also managed the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United during a legendary career, chose to focus on Vini Jr’s ‘disrespectful celebration’ and ignored the serious allegations made by winger towards Prestianni.

The former Real Madrid boss was asked if the match-winner had incited the crowd and said: “Yes. I believe so.

“It should be the crazy moment of the game, an amazing goal. Unfortunately he was not just happy to score that astonishing goal. When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way.

“I told Vinicius, when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back. When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person in the history of this club, Eusebio, was black.

“This club, the last thing that it is, is racist. If in his mind there was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.

“Vinicius and Prestianni told me different things. But I don't believe in one or another. I want to be an independent.”

Benfica double down

Benfica have moved to back their manager on their official social channels.

They doubled down on their defence on Prestianni, stating on X: “As the images demonstrate, given the distance, the Real Madrid players could not have heard what they claim to have heard.”

Mourinho’s response to Vini Jr racist claims criticised

Mourinho’s comments received widespread criticism from pundits.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, Clarence Seedorf said: “I think he is still emotional. I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse.

“He's saying it's OK, when Vinicius provokes you, to be racist - and I think that is very wrong.

“We should never, ever justify racial abuse. Vinicius has had enough of that unjustified behaviour from people. I know Mourinho by heart would agree with me but he expressed himself a bit unfortunately, I believe.”

TNT Sports Theo Walcott said: “I love everything Jose Mourinho has done in football but I think he has made a poor decision in that sense. It was maybe the one time we shouldn't have heard from him, the one night he should not have been in front of the cameras.”

What it means for Mourinho

For Mourinho, his reaction surely ends any prospect of returning to Real Madrid in a managerial capacity.

The Portuguese, who has had two previous stints in the Bernabeu hotseat, had been touted as a possible replacement for Alvaro Arbeloa should the interim boss continue to struggle.

The Real Madrid players, furious about the incident in Lisbon, are unlikely to welcome any figure who failed to back one of their star men.

“I think what has happened tonight is a disgrace to football and overshadowed the performance, as well as an amazing goal,” Trent Alexander-Arnold fumed.

“Vini has been subject to this a few times throughout his career. To ruin a night like this for our team is a disgrace.

“There is no place for it in football or society. It is disgusting.”

Vini Jr: Racially abused yet again

Vinicius Junior has repeatedly been the subject of racism during his career since moving to Real Madrid, with numerous reports of racist chanting towards the 25-year-old.

The first high-profile incident involving the winger came during El Clasico on 24 October 2021, when a Barcelona fan is alleged to have shouted a racial slur towards him.

Numerous problems have followed. The most notable of these have come against Atletico Madrid, whose fans hung a mannequin of the player from a bridge near Real Madrid’s training ground.

Perhaps the biggest single incident came in Valencia, when Vini Jr confronted a fan behind one of the goals. It was alleged the supporter was shouting a slur and making gestures towards him. Valencia’s stadium was given a partial closure for five games while three fans received eight-month prison sentences for their actions.

He has also suffered problems against Mallorca, Valladolid, Osasuna, Real Betis, Sevilla and Inter Milan.