Mourinho says he would have left Spain in Vinícius’s position

José Mourinho said he would probably have left Spain if he were in Vinícius Júnior’s position, pointing to the racist abuse the Brazilian forward has faced in the country. The Real Madrid coach was speaking ahead of Sunday’s match against Sevilla. [1]

“If I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn’t be here any more. I would have gone to another country, another league — somewhere with clubs and stadiums that respect him,” Mourinho said at a press conference. [1]

He praised Vinícius, saying he had “deep respect” for him and admired his ability to keep smiling despite the abuse. [1]

Vinícius will miss the Sevilla match as he serves a four-game suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair during Real Madrid’s recent home game against Villarreal. Mourinho said the ban was less severe than he had expected, and criticised what he called “invisible figures” on the Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee, whom he said might have wanted a harsher punishment. [1]