José Mourinho has been accused of gaslighting by the anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out for his response to Vinícius Júnior's allegation of racist abuse. The Benfica manager referenced the Real Madrid forward's goal celebration when discussing the incident, prompting criticism from the charity and former Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf.
Vinícius alleged he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during Madrid's Champions League playoff win in Lisbon. The game was delayed for 10 minutes after Prestianni spoke to Vinícius while covering his mouth with his shirt. Kylian Mbappé publicly accused Prestianni of calling Vinícius a monkey five times, which Prestianni denied. Uefa has appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to investigate, and Prestianni could face a 10-match ban if found guilty.
Speaking to Amazon Prime, Mourinho said he told Vinícius: "When you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back." He described the celebration as "stupid" and said: "There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium... A stadium where Vinícius plays, something happens, always." He added: "I want to be an independent."
Kick It Out responded by saying: "When anyone reports discrimination in football, or anywhere, the first priority is that they are listened to and feel supported. Focusing on Vinícius Jr's goal celebration or the history of the club, instead of acknowledging the report, is a form of gaslighting." The charity added that such an approach "harms the individual affected" and "sends the wrong message to others around the world". Seedorf said Mourinho was "saying it's OK when Vinícius provokes you... and I think that is very wrong."
Because the referee did not hear the exchange, Uefa's inspector must reach a conclusion. Vinícius posted on Instagram: "Racists are above all cowards [who] need to put their shirts over their mouth to demonstrate how weak they are." Benfica fans threw bottles and at least one made a monkey gesture, and the Portuguese authority APCVD is investigating. Prestianni denied using racist language, saying Vinícius "misunderstood what he thought he heard", and Benfica expressed support for the player, describing the allegations as a "smear campaign".
