Mikel Slams Mourinho's 'Clumsy' Comments in Racism Controversy
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has launched a scathing critique of his former manager Jose Mourinho, claiming the Benfica boss knows he has "f***ed up" with his response to the Vinicius Jr racism allegations. The controversy erupted during Real Madrid's Champions League play-off first leg against Benfica last week.
UEFA Investigation and Provisional Ban
European football's governing body UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni for one match following allegations he racially abused Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during the match in Lisbon. The Argentine midfielder is accused of calling Vinicius a "monkey" while covering his face with his shirt, an allegation Prestianni has denied.
The suspension rules Prestianni out of Wednesday's crucial second leg as UEFA continues its investigation into the incident. If found guilty of racial abuse, the Benfica player could face up to ten matches on the sidelines.
Mourinho's Controversial Post-Match Comments
Mourinho faced immediate backlash for his post-match remarks, where he suggested Vinicius had incited the crowd with his goal celebration and referenced club legend Eusebio as proof Benfica is not a racist institution.
"When you score a goal like that, you celebrate in a respectful way," Mourinho stated after the match. When pressed on whether he believed Vinicius had incited the crowd, the Portuguese manager responded: "Yeah, I believe so."
Mourinho added: "The words they exchange, Prestianni with Vinicius, I want to be independent. I don't comment about it. When he was arguing about racism I told him the biggest person in the history of this club was black [Eusebio]. This club, the last thing it is is racist."
Mikel's Blunt Assessment
Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel - who played under Mourinho during both his Chelsea tenures - described his former manager's comments as "clumsy" and predicted an eventual apology.
"What I expected to hear from my old boss was 'Yes it is under investigation, but there is no place for racism there,'" Mikel explained. "For him to come out and say 'Oh yeah, Vinicius Jr shouldn't have celebrated the way he did' - that was a clumsy, clumsy comment from Jose Mourinho."
The Nigerian midfielder continued: "He will be the first to know 'I've f***ed up here'. He is a smart, smart guy, a very smart guy, he knows. I don't know the reason why he hasn't apologised, but I expect him to come out at some point and make a statement."
Mikel emphasized that no former player has "a bad word to say about him, especially when it comes to racism," but insisted: "The statement that he made is a massive, massive, huge mistake."
Benfica's Response and Mourinho's Silence
Benfica has announced they will appeal UEFA's decision to suspend Prestianni, stating they "regret being deprived of the player while the process is still under investigation." The club reaffirmed its "unwavering commitment to combating all forms of racism or discrimination."
Mourinho, who received a red card during the first leg, will not conduct a press conference ahead of Wednesday's second leg due to suspension. The Benfica manager did comment briefly to in-house media, acknowledging the emotional difficulty of managing "everything that has happened and continues to happen."
Incident Details and Conflicting Accounts
The alleged racial abuse occurred moments after Vinicius scored the only goal of the match in Lisbon. Following celebrations, Prestianni approached the Brazilian forward, with Vinicius subsequently racing to referee Francois Letexier to report the incident.
Real Madrid teammates have provided conflicting accounts of what transpired. Kylian Mbappe claimed Prestianni racially abused Vinicius five times, while Aurelien Tchouameni reported the Benfica player claimed to have used a homophobic slur instead.
According to ESPN sources, Prestianni has told UEFA investigators he did not say "mono" (Spanish for monkey) but instead directed a homophobic insult toward Vinicius, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation.
The controversy continues to overshadow what promises to be a tense second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Benfica needing to overturn a one-goal deficit to progress in the Champions League.
