Jose Mourinho has spoken of the major controversy between former player Gianluca Prestianni and Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior.
Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Vinícius Jr. during a Champions League tie between Mourinho’s former side Benfica and new side Real Madrid last season.
Following the accusation, Mourinho said that Prestianni was innocent until proven guilty of racially abusing Vinícius, but did say ‘it’s over’ if he was found guilty.
The Argentine was eventually handed a six-match ban for anti-gay conduct.
Mourinho has since returned for his second stint at the Bernabéu, having previously won LaLiga and the Copa del Rey with the Spanish giants.
And, with Vinícius opting to stay at the Bernabéu amid links to a move to Arsenal, Mourinho insisted that the Brazilian star knows whose side he is on now.
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He told Spanish outlet AS: “The answer is very simple: Prestianni was my player.
“That’s it, there’s no debate. If Prestianni is my player… 20 players can come at me and I’m still with Prestianni. End of story.
“I think Vini knows now. He knows whose side I’m on and he knows he can look at me and count on me to stand alongside him.
“The other day, when they didn’t give him a penalty as big as the Bernabéu, I was already out there in the middle of the field fighting for him — he knows I’m going to be there for him.”
Mourinho insisted that players and officials alike behave differently towards Vinícius and believes that needs to change when it comes to how he is refereed.
“I think people have to learn how to behave toward him, and I’m talking about referees too,” he added.
“Vinícius is a player like everyone else. You can’t give a penalty if it’s Pedrerol… and then not give the penalty because it’s Vinícius.
“You can’t protect Mourinho and not protect Vinícius.
“People have to look beyond whether they find him likable or not. On the field, you have to look at Vinícius like any other player — he’s better than the others.”
Mourinho admitted that there are times that the Brazilian perhaps does not help himself in terms of celebrating goals in front of opposition fans.
But he also questioned why fans with no reason to have strong feelings against Vinícius automatically decide to boo him.
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He said: “They don’t respect him in stadiums and I’ve spoken to him a little about that too.
“One thing is celebrating a goal with your own fans and another is celebrating in front of the opposing fans — you can find a little bit of balance there.
“But what sense does it make for an entire stadium to boo one of the best players in the world when you have nothing against him?
“You go and play a friendly in La Coruña or against Schalke and I don’t think Vinícius has played against Schalke before, or against Depor.
“Why do you boo him the first time he touches the ball? There has to be some kind of middle ground because watching him play is a privilege.”
