\u2018Vinicius is no saint, but what they\u2019re doing to him was \u200btoo much,\u2019 Mourinho said after his first match of La Liga.<\/p>\n
Published On 23 Aug 202623 Aug 2026<\/p>\n
Real \u200cMadrid manager Jose Mourinho has accused opponents and supporters of bullying Vinicius Junior after \u2060the Brazilian winger was \u2060targeted with rough treatment in the club\u2019s opening 2-1 La Liga win at Espanyol<\/a>.<\/p>\n Real, who kicked off Mourinho\u2019s return to the club with \u2060a late victory on Saturday, were furious inside the opening five minutes when Alex Calatrava brought down Vinicius from behind and then appeared to catch him again while the forward was \u2060on the ground.<\/p>\n Madrid\u2019s players appealed for a red card, but the referee took no action against Calatrava, who later scored Espanyol\u2019s equaliser after Jude Bellingham had put Real ahead.<\/p>\n Late Real substitute Carlo Espi struck in the 90th minute to give the visitors victory.<\/p>\n Mourinho said the treatment of \u200cVinicius had become a recurring theme.<\/p>\n \u201cVinicius is no saint, but what they\u2019re doing to him was too much. Right from the first minute. It\u2019s a pattern that repeats itself from one opponent to the next,\u201d Mourinho said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll give him one, now you give him one. If I get a yellow card, you give him one. If I\u2019m substituted, another player comes on who hasn\u2019t been booked yet, and you \u2060give him one.\u201d<\/p>\n The Portuguese coach said Vinicius, who has often been \u2060the focus of abuse from rival defenders and crowds, needed to stay composed despite the provocation.<\/p>\n \u201cHe needs to have a lot of emotional control. I\u2019ve told him that if he scores a goal, he needs to \u2060be careful how he celebrates it,\u201d Mourinho said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in an era where society is against bullying, yet with Vini we\u2019re still seeing \u2060bullying \u2013 from opponents and from the crowd. We have \u2060to educate him and prepare him as best we can, and that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n