José Mourinho has been accused of gaslighting by the anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out for his response to Vinícius Júnior’s allegations of racist abuse during Benfica’s Champions League match against Real Madrid. The Benfica manager referenced the forward’s goal celebration when discussing the incident, drawing criticism for failing to support the player.
Vinícius alleged that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him during Tuesday’s playoff win in Lisbon, prompting Uefa to appoint an ethics and disciplinary inspector. The game was delayed for 10 minutes after Prestianni spoke to Vinícius while covering his mouth. Kylian Mbappé publicly accused Prestianni of calling Vinícius a monkey five times, but Prestianni has denied the claim.
Mourinho told Amazon Prime: “I told him: ‘When you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back.’ They told me different things. But I don’t believe in one or another.” He added: “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. A stadium where Vinícius plays, something happens, always.”
Kick It Out responded: “When anyone reports discrimination in football, 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.” Former Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf also criticised Mourinho, saying: “He’s saying it’s OK when Vinícius provokes you … and I think that is very wrong.”
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 at him and at least one performed a monkey gesture. The Portuguese authority APCVD is investigating the incident. Prestianni denied using racist language, writing: “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults at Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard.”
