Thibaut Courtois, goalkeeper for Real Madrid, has criticised José Mourinho over his handling of Vinicius Jr.’s goal celebration against Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League play-off.
The incident arose after Vinicius Jr. scored and celebrated, a gesture that Benfica fans viewed as provocative. Mourinho’s public comments were seen as defending his player in a way that some interpreted as excusing discriminatory behavior.
According to Fabrizio Romano’s post on X on Tuesday, Courtois stated that “Mourinho is Mourinho, as a coach you’ll always defend your club and you’ll believe your player… but one thing disappointed me.” He added that “Mourinho was using Vini’s celebration as an excuse. You can not justify racism over a celebration.”
Courtois expressed full support for Vinicius, saying he “100% heard Prestianni say it” and emphasizing that Vinicius had never accused any rival player of racism before. He also noted that “It was Vinicius who decided that we should continue playing the game against Benfica. If he decided to walk out, we would’ve all walked out.”
The controversy has drawn broader attention, with Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany also criticising Mourinho’s post-match remarks. Several ex-players and current stars voiced support for Vinicius Jr. following the alleged racial abuse during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Benfica.
