José Mourinho has fiercely defended Vinícius Júnior after Real Madrid’s win over Espanyol, claiming the Brazilian is repeatedly targeted by opponents and calling for greater protection from referees.
Mourinho's comments came after Madrid began their LaLiga campaign with a 2–1 victory over Espanyol, but the result was overshadowed by another controversy involving Vinícius.
The Portuguese coach believes the winger is being subjected to a recurring pattern of physical challenges and provocation — and warned that Vini must also learn to control his emotions.
Mourinho unhappy with treatment of Vinicius
The incident that sparked Mourinho's frustration happened early in the match.
Espanyol's Álex Calatrava brought Vinícius down from behind, with Mourinho particularly unhappy that the challenge did not result in an early booking.
Calatrava later became involved in another confrontation with Vinícius and eventually received a yellow card. He also scored Espanyol's equaliser before Real Madrid ultimately secured victory through Carlos Espí in the closing stages.
For Mourinho, however, the issue goes beyond one challenge.
He believes opponents have developed a strategy of repeatedly testing how much physical contact they can get away with against the Brazilian.
‘It’s like kids’
Mourinho used a striking comparison when explaining why he believes early refereeing decisions matter.
The Real Madrid boss argued that players, like children, will continue pushing boundaries when they are allowed to do so.
His concern is that if opponents are not punished early for challenges against Vinícius, others may feel encouraged to continue doing the same.
Mourinho described the treatment as a pattern that repeatedly follows the winger from one opponent to another.
The manager therefore wants officials to intervene before the situation escalates.
Mourinho also sends Vini a warning
Despite defending his player, Mourinho was not completely absolving Vinícius.
The manager acknowledged that the Brazilian is “no saint” and believes he must improve his emotional control when opponents attempt to provoke him.
That was particularly relevant against Espanyol, where Vinícius became involved in a confrontation and received a yellow card.
Mourinho believes his star winger needs to understand that opponents will try to unsettle him and avoid allowing those situations to affect his contribution to the team.
Even celebrations need to be controlled
Mourinho went further by warning Vinícius to be careful with how he celebrates goals.
The Portuguese manager knows the Brazilian's celebrations can attract attention from opposition supporters and players, potentially creating another source of confrontation.
His message is essentially that Vinícius must remain composed even when he believes he is being unfairly targeted.
That balance could become one of Mourinho's biggest challenges this season.
A new relationship between Mourinho and Vini
The situation is particularly interesting because Mourinho and Vinícius have had controversy surrounding them in the past.
When Mourinho was at Benfica last season, he was criticised over comments surrounding an incident involving Vinícius and Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni.
Now that Vinícius is one of Mourinho's own players at Real Madrid, the manager has made his position much clearer: he intends to protect the winger while also demanding greater discipline from him.
That could prove important as the season develops.
Real Madrid need their star focused
Vinícius remains one of the most important attacking players in Mourinho's squad.
With Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham also among the team's major attacking threats, Madrid have the quality to challenge for major honours.
But Mourinho will want Vinícius focused on football rather than constantly becoming involved in confrontations.
The manager's solution appears to be twofold: referees must provide greater protection, while Vinícius must show enough maturity to avoid giving opponents opportunities to drag him into unnecessary battles.
Mourinho's message is clear
The Real Madrid boss has made his position clear.
He believes Vinícius is being targeted, believes referees need to do more and believes opponents have become increasingly comfortable testing the limits against the Brazilian.
But he also knows that Vinícius must play his part.
Mourinho will protect his star winger — but he wants Vini to protect himself too.
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