Kompany Condemns Mourinho's Post-Match Remarks as 'Huge Mistake'
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has launched a stinging rebuke of Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, labelling his post-match comments following alleged racist abuse of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior as a "huge mistake" in leadership. The controversy erupted during Tuesday's Champions League play-off tie between Real Madrid and Benfica, where Brazilian international Vinicius reported an instance of alleged racial abuse to referee Francois Letexier after scoring.
UEFA Investigation Launched After On-Pitch Incident
The Spanish club later identified Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni as the subject of the complaint, though Prestianni vehemently denied making racist comments in an Instagram post. His club described the allegations as part of a "defamation campaign" against the player. Referee Letexier activated UEFA's anti-racism protocols, suspending play for ten minutes, with European football's governing body now conducting a formal investigation into the incident.
Kompany's Impassioned Defence of Vinicius Junior
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt, Kompany delivered an emotional defence of Vinicius, drawing upon his own experiences of racism as a young player. "For me, even worse, is what happens after the game," said Kompany, recalling incidents where Real Betis fans directed monkey chants at him and former teammate Cheick Tiote.
"After the game, you have the leader of an organisation, Jose Mourinho, who basically attacks the character of Vinicius Jr, by bringing in the type of celebration to discredit what Vinicius is doing in this moment," Kompany continued. "For me, in terms of leadership, it is a huge mistake. It is something we should not accept. I am very clear on that."
Mourinho's Controversial Comments Under Scrutiny
Mourinho faced immediate criticism for his post-match remarks, where he suggested that "something happens, always" in matches involving Vinicius. Kompany stressed that dismissing a person's painful experience was unacceptable. "The one thing you can't do is dismiss a person and attack the character of a person who's complaining about something he experienced and something that must be very painful to that person," he stated.
Despite his criticism, Kompany acknowledged Mourinho's generally positive reputation among former players. "I know 100 people who have worked with Jose Mourinho. I have never heard a person say anything bad about Jose," he said. "I understand he is fighting for his team and his club. You cannot be a bad person and have all the ex-players you have had talk so positively about you. I don't need to judge him as a person, but I know what I have heard and I understand maybe what he has done, but he has made a mistake."
Ongoing Fallout and Footballing Responses
The Brazilian Football Confederation has formally written to both UEFA and FIFA, urging the governing bodies to "identify and punish" anyone found guilty of racially abusing Vinicius. The UEFA investigation, led by an ethics and disciplinary investigator, is expected to take up to three weeks to conclude, potentially meaning Vinicius and Prestianni could face each other again in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu before the case is resolved.
Mourinho, meanwhile, has attempted to shift focus to Benfica's upcoming domestic fixture against Primeira Liga bottom side AVS. In an interview with Benfica's in-house BTV channel, he acknowledged the emotional toll of the incident. "The (Real Madrid) game was truly demanding in every aspect," Mourinho said. "Up until the 50th minute, it was a great game, extremely demanding, both physically and tactically and in terms of the concentration required to play at that level."
"But then I also have to acknowledge that, from the 51st minute until now – and this won't end our conversation – it hasn't been easy to manage emotionally, everything that has happened and continues to happen," he added. "But there is a game tomorrow, an important game, a game that, for our ambitions, for our dreams, is fundamental to win. We have to focus and try to play at the highest level."
