Kompany Slams Mourinho’s Response to Alleged Racist Abuse Incident
Vincent Kompany, the current manager of German giants Bayern Munich, has launched a scathing critique of Jose Mourinho’s reaction to an alleged racist incident involving Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. during a Champions League play-off match between Benfica and Real Madrid. Kompany, speaking at a press conference ahead of his team’s Bundesliga fixture, drew upon his own personal experiences with racism in football to deliver a powerful defence of Vinicius, labelling Mourinho’s comments as a “huge mistake” that unfairly targeted the player’s character.
The controversy erupted after Vinicius Jr. accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, a young Argentinian international, of directing a racial slur, reportedly a “monkey” chant, towards him following the Brazilian’s second-half goal. The accusation gained credence with support from teammate Kylian Mbappe, who stated he also heard the alleged abuse. During the incident, Prestianni was observed with his shirt covering his mouth while engaged in an exchange with Madrid players, including Vinicius.
Vinicius Jr.’s furious reaction to the alleged comment prompted him to alert match officials. The game was temporarily halted for approximately 11 minutes as French referee Francois Letexier initiated Fifa’s anti-racism protocols. Despite the pause, play eventually resumed with Prestianni remaining on the pitch. Throughout the remainder of the match, which Real Madrid ultimately won 1-0, Vinicius Jr. faced a barrage of boos and jeers from the home crowd at the Estadio Da Luz.
Gianluca Prestianni is now facing a UEFA investigation into the matter. He has vehemently denied engaging in any racist abuse, suggesting that his words were misinterpreted.
Following the match, Jose Mourinho, the Benfica manager, shifted the blame onto Vinicius Jr., suggesting the player had provoked Benfica’s squad due to his “not respectful” goal celebration. Mourinho further attempted to deflect accusations of racism against Benfica by referencing the club’s legendary player, Eusebio, who was Black.
“I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho stated, recounting his conversation with Vinicius Jr. post-match. “And then 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 it is is racist, so if in his mind it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.”
Mourinho continued to express his frustration, adding, “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays, something happens. Always.”
Vincent Kompany, when questioned about the incident, provided a lengthy and impassioned response, unequivocally defending Vinicius Jr. and strongly criticising Mourinho’s public statements.
“When you watch the action itself and how Vini reacted, that reaction cannot be faked,” Kompany asserted. “You can see it was an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him to go to the referee and put all this misery on his shoulders. In that moment he saw that it was the right thing to do.”
Kompany highlighted further evidence supporting Vinicius’s claims, noting, “Kylian Mbappe normally always stays diplomatic, but he was very clear about what he saw and heard. Then there’s the Benfica player who was hiding what he was saying in his shirt. In the stadium you can see there were people [Benfica fans] doing monkey signs, it’s in the video.”
The Bayern Munich manager’s most pointed criticism was reserved for Mourinho’s post-match comments. “And for me, what happened after the game is even worse. Jose Mourinho has basically attacked the character of Vini Jr by bringing in the type of Vini’s celebration to discredit what he was doing at that moment. It was a huge mistake in terms of leadership.”
Kompany also took issue with Mourinho’s invocation of Eusebio. “On top of that, Mourinho mentioned the name of Eusebio. He said Benfica cannot be racist because their best ever player was Eusebio. Do you know what Black players had to go through in the 60s? Was he there to travel with Eusebio every away game and see what he went through?”
While acknowledging Mourinho’s positive reputation and suggesting he is “deep down a good person,” Kompany maintained that the Benfica manager had made a significant misjudgment.
“I met 100 people who worked with Jose Mourinho. I’ve never heard someone say something bad about Jose. All his players love him. I understand the person he is, I understand he fights for his club. I know deep down he’s a good person. I don’t need to judge him on that. But I also know what I’ve heard. I understand what he’s done, but he made a mistake. Hopefully it won’t happen again in the future, and we can move on together.”
Mourinho’s handling of the incident has drawn widespread condemnation from various figures within the football community. Pundits for Amazon Prime, including Wayne Rooney, Clarence Seedorf, and Theo Walcott, expressed shock at his remarks, with Rooney describing them as “unfair.”
Clarence Seedorf elaborated on his concerns, stating, “I think he [Jose Mourinho] is still emotional. I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse and I’m not saying that was the case today but he mentioned something more than today. He said wherever he goes these things happen, so he’s saying it’s OK when Vinicius provokes you, that is it OK to be racist, and I think that is very wrong.”
