Benfica coach Jose Mourinho has continued to avoid responding to the criticism he has faced following his reaction to Vinicius Junior during last week’s match against Real Madrid.
Vinicius scored a goal against Benfica and then celebrated in a way that Mourinho considered highly provocative. He was subsequently subjected to a barrage of criticism from Benfica players, most notably Gianluca Prestini, who is accused of racially abusing the Brazilian star.
Instead of defending Vinicius and combating racism, Mourinho criticized the Real Madrid player for his behavior and his exaggerated celebration, telling him to stop.
A storm of criticism ensued against Mourinho, spearheaded by Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany, who effectively gave the Portuguese manager a lesson in how leaders should behave in such situations.
After Benfica’s match against Aves on Saturday, Mourinho was asked about the comments made by a number of football stars, to which he replied, “I don’t want to comment.”
He added, “I repeat, it was difficult for everyone. I won’t specify the degree of difficulty, but it was clear. However, today we knew how to show our professionalism and do our job in the best way possible.”
Mourinho will appear at a press conference before the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 playoff against Real Madrid on Monday, and the questions are expected to be repeated. It remains to be seen whether he will answer or maintain his composure and diplomacy.
