Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy weighs in on Mourinho's remarks about Vinicius
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 21.02.26. | 20:12
Speaking after the match, Mourinho, who was sent off late in the game for arguing with the referee, said Vinicius had been “disrespectful” with his goal celebration
Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy believes Jose Mourinho should acknowledge he made a mistake following what he termed as “very wrong” post-match comments after the alleged racial abuse of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior.
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Speaking after Los Blancos beat Benfica 1-0, Mourinho, who was sent off late in the game for arguing with the referee, said Vinicius had been “disrespectful” with his goal celebration and pointed to club legend Eusebio as proof that Benfica is not a racist club.
“The situation, he could have handled it better or chosen his words better, but emotions got the better of him,” McCarthy told BBC World Service presenter Isaac Fanin.
“I know the statement he made was very wrong. But we’re all human, we all make mistakes.”
The former Bafana Bafana striker, who previously worked with Mourinho at FC Porto, nonetheless defended his former manager’s character.
“When it comes from somebody I know personally, and I know how he feels about our continent and our people and the players that play for him, he’s the most stand-up guy that any African player will ever play for.
I think it was an emotional decision, tough, where he maybe made a call, and it wasn’t the right call, which he will later hopefully come out and say that he made a mistake because that’s what I would like to think that’s the kind of man he is.”
Real Madrid’s Champions League knockout phase play-off tie at Benfica was halted for 11 minutes after Vinicius reported alleged racist abuse, as he and his teammates temporarily left the field.
Referee François Letexier made the crossed-arms gesture to signal racist abuse following a conversation with the Brazilian forward.
Vinicius had put Real Madrid 1-0 up in the second half at the Estádio da Luz before being booked for an excessive celebration.
Following an interaction with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, Vinicius approached the referee while gesturing towards the opposition player.
A Real Madrid statement later said the winger informed the referee that he had been racially abused by the Argentine.
Vinicius and his teammates walked off the pitch before play resumed 10 minutes later in the 60th minute.
The match was completed, with Real Madrid winning 1-0 after 12 minutes of stoppage time. During the added time, an object thrown from the crowd struck Vinicius on the arm.
Vinicius, who has previously been subjected to racist abuse during his career, later wrote on Instagram: “Racists are, above all, cowards.”
Benfica have defended Prestianni and claimed there is a “defamation campaign” against the 20-year-old, who denies directing any racial abuse and could face a minimum 10-match ban from European competition if found guilty.