“I have a minimum basis of culture”

Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has shared his thoughts on the racism saga involving Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. The Brazil international received racist abuse from the fans of the Portuguese outfit, as well as Gianluca Prestianni, allegedly, in their UEFA Champions League clash last month.

Mourinho spoke with reporters for the first time after exercising his right to avoid speaking to the press before and after the second leg against Real Madrid last week. He reiterated his original stance on the subject, pointing out that Alvaro Arbeloa was wrong to pick sides without allowing an investigation to be carried out first.

“I love Álvaro [Arbeloa] and I will continue to love him, but I think I was the one who took the right position, not him. And I mentioned this at the press conference, where I was confronted with the statements of Álvaro and a player in the accusation against Prestianni and in the defense of a Real Madrid player. And I said that I wanted to be balanced, and that meant neither defending my player nor attacking the other. I said that I didn’t want to wear either the white shirt of Real Madrid or the red shirt of Benfica, that I wanted to be impartial in a case that could potentially be serious. That’s why I say to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, because of the presumption of innocence, and I also say that I repudiate any kind of discrimination, prejudice, ignorance or idiocy. And I did that and the others didn’t.

Jose Mourinho also stated that he will deem Prestianni’s Benfica career to be over if he is indeed found guilty of racially abusing Vinicius Jr, as a matter of principle. He criticized UEFA for hastily suspending the 20-year-old without the conclusion of their investigations.

“But I also tell you that if it is proven that my player did not respect these principles, which are mine and Benfica’s as well, that player’s career with coach José Mourinho and with Benfica will come to an end. It’s not that I’m a learned man, “But I’m not ignorant either, I don’t have a law degree, I have a degree in Physical Education and Sports, and I have a minimum level of culture… Is the presumption of innocence a human right or not? That’s why I always include an ‘if’. Unfortunately, UEFA, in order to remove the player from the game, discovered article 416328 which was hidden there to remove him from the game, and they went in the direction of not including ‘ifs’. I stand by my position: if the player is indeed guilty, I will never look at him the same way again, and that’s it for me. But I have to put many ‘ifs’ in front of it”, he said (via O Jogo).

Jose Mourinho was criticized for his response to claims from Vinicius Jr and the Real Madrid team that the Brazilian had been racially abused at the Estadio da Luz. The veteran manager had urged the Los Blancos forward to avoid inciting the opposition with his celebration, appearing to justify the abuse he received.

Jose Mourinho was absent from the dugout due to a suspension as Vinicius Jr scored and recreated his celebration in the second leg at the Bernabeu. The former Real Madrid boss watched the game from inside the team bus as his side lost 2-1 in Madrid.

Vinicius Jr made history against Jose Mourinho’s side

Jose Mourinho was at the receiving end of a historic moment as Vinicius Jr guided Real Madrid into the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian put the racism he faced behind him as he scored in both legs against Benfica, helping his side win 3-1 on aggregate.

Vinicius Jr’s second half strike in the second leg at the Bernabeu made him the first player ever to score in both legs of a knockout tie against a Mourinho side. The 25-year-old scored the only goal in the first leg as his side claimed a 1-0 win away from home.

Jose Mourinho has managed teams such as Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and FC Porto throughout his career. The Portuguese tactician has won the UEFA Champions League on two occasions, and is regarded as one of the best managers of his generation.